


Of Toys and Sweets

by ThornedDream



Category: Incarceron Series - Catherine Fisher
Genre: Christmas, F/M, I also named Attia's siblings and decided to include them, Nutcracker crossover, Tears will be shed, There's a bit of Faudia here but it's mostly Kattia, but kisses will make it all better, pining of course will also be included
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-03
Updated: 2016-12-25
Packaged: 2018-09-06 04:28:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 25,885
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8734915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThornedDream/pseuds/ThornedDream
Summary: It’s Christmas time, and Attia’s family is eager to welcome the visit of their godfather, Rix. When he arrives, he has a peculiar gift for Attia: a blond soldier nutcracker with a large cheeky grin. Little does she know that this unusual toy will bring her more pint-sized trouble than she could ever dream of.





	1. Chapter 1

The air of the afternoon was cool and crisp, complete with the snowy winds of early winter. Attia sat on a small bench behind her family’s manor, and was absolutely absorbed in the book between her gloved hands: an ancient book by a famous author named Charles Dickens. He had died many great years ago, but his inevitable fate was still proceeded by his timeless literature. This particular book told the story of a miserly old man who was visited on Christmas eve night by three spirits, and was ultimately changed for the better.

It was a gripping tale that Attia thoroughly enjoyed reading each year as this season approached. Her hot breath came out in puffs of steam as her gloved fingers turned the pages, then pulled her scarf up higher over her mouth and nose.

Her attentive reading was eventually threatened as a loud voice called out towards her. “Attia!”

She didn’t raise her eyes from the captivating words, but she knew who had called her. It was one of her many older siblings: Thana.

“Attia!” Thana called again. When she finally approached Attia on her bench, Thana crossed her arms. “Azim is expecting you inside.”

At the mention of Azim’s name, Attia finally tore her attention from her book and turned it over to her older sister. Azim was the oldest of all of them, and was always to be respected. Not only for something as trivial as his age, which can’t be helped, but because of how much he had done to provide and care for all seven of them. In return for his fair leadership, all his orders were followed without question.

“What for?” Attia’s book was now closed and resting on her lap.

Thana only shrugged. “He didn’t say. I’ll only assume it’s about the holiday preparations, since everyone else is busy getting ready.” There was an edge of confrontation to her tone, but it was addressed no further.

This was one benefit Attia had to being the youngest in her family: no responsibilities fell onto her until absolutely necessary.

Regardless, she quickly rose onto her feet and ran ahead towards the manor with Thana close behind. Their boot-covered feet stomped loudly through the snow, creating a crisp trail behind them. Attia resisted the urge to jump down into the soft white powder and shape it into the silhouette of an angel with her arms and legs.

When they finally reentered their manor, they both stomped the snow off of their boots and onto the doormat. Attia was immediately greeted with the atmosphere of home. All the rooms were toasted to a heavenly temperature, and the smell of gingerbread and cinnamon drifted deliciously through the air. The aroma of the sweets was undoubtedly the work of Iesha, the second oldest, and Jamar, the second youngest. Those two made it a tradition to bake together for every holiday, and their blissful creations were unparalleled to any baker in town.

Attia made her way through the halls, looking into each room for her eldest brother. Eventually she made her way to the living room, and there was Azim, standing on a stool and decorating their grand noble fir.

Attia smiled and approached him. “You called for me, Azim?”

To her voice, Azim glanced over his shoulder and grinned adoringly at his littlest sister. Then he explained with a gentle voice, “I need someone to help me decorate our tree, and everyone else is busy.”

Attia nodded and instantly obliged by stepping towards the array of cardboard boxes on the floor. There was all kinds of decor in varying shapes and dazzling colors in each, and Attia picked up one particular ornament which had been horribly painted by both her and her brother Kadin. She couldn’t even make out any forms- only blurs and blotches of distorted colors.

But Azim eagerly reached forward for the same ornament. “Ah! Give me that one! I’ll put it between your portraits.”

Attia’s cheeks flushed as she pouted with embarrassment, but she hesitantly obeyed and handed it over to her brother. He immediately fastened the hook around a branch, and Attia knew it would remain there for all to see until the end of the season. At least there was comfort in knowing that Kadin would equally become a victim to Azim’s humiliating sentimentalities as her.

“Can you hand me that teddy bear ornament? The same one in the box with the wreath?”

As she did so, Attia couldn’t help but voice her curiosity- something she was known all too well for. “I understand that the holiday is in a few days, but everyone seems to be in a hurry already. What’s the rush?”

Azim looked at Attia with a most confused look upon his face. “Did you forget? Uncle Rix is arriving tonight to visit until the holiday is over.”

“What?!” Attia nearly dropped the garland in her arms. “I didn’t forget- no one told me!”

And she knew this was true because she loved Uncle Rix, and he positively adored her. It was no secret among the siblings that she was indeed his favorite, as unfair as that might seem. Any news regarding him would certainly not have escaped her memory.

“I’m sorry, Attia.” Azim was now frowning sympathetically. “I suppose the news arrived while you were out, and no one remembered to tell you.”

Attia recalled one particular day in the week before, when she enjoyed a pleasant horse-drawn sleigh ride with her good friends: Giles and his lovely fiancé. It was a treat which the fabulously privileged and wealthy couple eagerly invited her to every year. After their ride through hills and valleys to Giles’ favorite lake, they skated on the ice all afternoon in turns and curves of beautiful intricacy. Perhaps it was in that afternoon when the news arrived…

But that mattered little. Her disappointment was soon replaced with excitement, and she grinned gleefully at the newly presented fact that her Uncle Rix would be arriving shortly.

Uncle Rix was, in fact, not the family’s biological uncle- rather he was their godfather. It was a meaningless position, since Azim was there to care for his younger siblings when their parents passed. Furthermore, everyone loved Rix as though he were blood family, and so he quickly earned the title “Uncle” to precede his name instead of “godfather.” It was fact that his visits were no small occasion, and so now Attia understood why everyone was in a frenzy to make the home as presentable and welcoming as possible.

Quickly she sped up her assistance to Azim and together they finished decorating the tree as well as the rest of the living room. The rest of the afternoon was then spent sweeping the floors, preparing the dinner, polishing the wood of the furniture, and setting up any additional decor. Wreathes were hung on doors, candles adorned fireplace mantels, and snow globes along with dainty music boxes were nestled on side tables beside trays of candies. It was a festive array which did not fail to contribute to the natural warm comfort of the house.

They worked into the evening, and at last they heard a knock from the front of the house. Immediately everyone froze, and Attia rushed forward with great anticipation towards the entrance. She opened it, and there was none other than Uncle Rix, dressed in a much too large black coat and a matching top hat to cover his messy nest of hair. Over his shoulder he carried a massive bag, likely containing many personal items. His long nose was pale from the cold, and his squinted eyes sparkled at the immediate sight of his favorite “niece.”

“Attia, my dear!” He grinned before stepping forward to pull her into a grand hug. “You look as precious as ever.”

Attia smiled and rested her cheek upon Rix’s free shoulder, gladly returning the embrace for a few long moments until she finally spoke. “I’m glad you’re here, Uncle Rix! Come inside, we have everything ready for you!”

Then with great excitement, she grabbed Rix’s hand and led him through the doors into the cinnamon warmth of their home.

Once inside, he removed his coat and hat before unlacing his boots and tugging them off. He left on his unfashionable green and purple socks for additional warmth.

“Mmm, something smells good!” Rix called with a wide grin across his lips while strolling into the living room with his bag still swung over his shoulder.

Attia followed after him. “Iesha and Jamar baked gingerbread cookies.”

“Ooh I can’t wait to try them!” He chuckled a little, then approached the Christmas tree in their living room and set down his bag. He opened it up with a bit of difficulty, then began pulling out a few brightly colored boxes.

“You brought presents?!” Attia gasped.

“As always, my dear. As always.”

Attia couldn’t resist clapping her hands together once with excitement.

It was at that time when Azim came into the room and greeted Rix with a pat on his small back. “I’m glad you made it, Rix!”

Rix then stood up straight after placing the gifts below the tree, then pulled Azim in for a quick hug.

After their greeting, Azim took a scan around the room before questioningly raising one of his bushy eyebrows. “Where’s your apprentice? You said he would be visiting with you.”

To this, Rix’s eyes darted away with an ever so slight image of uneasiness, but his explanation was quick to cast it all away. “There was a bit of trouble with our traveling plans. Only one of us could fit in our wagon along with the luggage, so we had to rent a second one. He was traveling close behind, so he should arrive by Christmas day.”

“Apprentice?” Attia interrupted. “I heard nothing about an apprentice.”

“Ah, yes! I’ve recently taken a new apprentice under my care. He’s a bit bold and arrogant, I must admit, but a skilled student nonetheless! He’s learning the art of my magic tricks at a remarkable pace!”

“Oh really?” There was now a smile on Attia’s lips. “What’s his name?”

But Rix only stared, not even beginning to part his lips to answer. Only a few quick seconds passed before Thana called to the household, announcing dinner.

“Ah, I’m starved! Let’s eat!” Rix then rushed towards the dining room, leaving Attia and Azim to glance curiously at each other. After a few moments, Azim just shrugged his shoulders to her and followed after Rix, who was now seating himself at the dining table.

Attia crossed her arms and let out a small sigh with the beginnings of frustration growing in her chest. After taking a glance to the decorated gifts beneath the tree, she finally decided to follow suit and join everyone else in the dining room. Her stomach was now growling with hunger, and as confused as she might be, she was not opposed to satisfying her appetite.

But even so, the sense that something was unusual lingered with her throughout the entire meal and into dessert. Rix had always been a bit antsy and on edge, but this was entirely different.

She knew something was amiss, and she was determined to learn what that was.


	2. Chapter 2

Dinner passed quickly and was full of joyous conversation. Rix spent most of the time telling his fantastical stories about his travels from town to town, performing all kinds of new magic tricks. 

And of course Attia particularly enjoyed these stories. She often found herself lost in daydreams about what it would be like to journey the world beside him as an assistant. It would certainly be different, of course, but that was welcomed. She craved change; to see new places, experience new things, and meet new people. It would all be so overwhelmingly fascinating to her. She knew one day it would happen. She would go out and explore the world and see all new things.

One day.

But for now, she was seated in her living room, along with the rest of her family. Attia sat snug between Azim and Rix on the sofa while the rest of her older siblings found seats on lounge chairs and rugs across the room. Snow was falling outside, and the fire crackled a beautifully warm melody as stories and jokes were passed from one smiling face to another.

At some time in the evening, Jamar began scooting a bit closer to the decorated green tree in the corner.

Azim did not fail to notice this, and with a frown of disapproval, he shook his head and spoke in a stern voice. “Jamar, it’s not Christmas yet. Show some respect and stop eyeing those presents.”

To this, Jamar shamefully scooted back to his original place, further from the tree. His head hung low, and his voice was passive with guilt. “I was only looking- I swear. I’m sorry.”

Even if she wanted to, Attia couldn’t bring herself to blame Jamar. She had also taken a glance or two at the festively decorated boxes, but she would not admit that. It was well known among the family that Rix gave extraordinarily wonderful gifts. Attia was certain that everyone in the room felt even just a ping of anticipation.

“Ah. you two shouldn’t worry so much!” Rix was now smiling his crooked smile and wiping some of his messy dark bangs out of his pale face. “Let the boy be excited while he still can. Besides, I expected this. That’s why I brought two gifts for each of you. You all can open one tonight.”

There was a wave of hesitation in the room, and heads immediately turned to Azim for further admittance.

“Are you sure?” he politely asked.

“Of course!” Rix spread out his arms towards the tree. “In fact, I insist. Go on!”

So then with that, Azim gave his permission through a single nod of his head.

At that moment, the energy inside the room rose to ecstatic heights. Eyes were lit up and sparkling, and mouths were stretched wide into grins. Hands and knees began crawling towards the gifts under the tree, and the sound of paper being torn permeated the air.

Attia did not join them. Instead, she remained seated on the sofa beside Azim and Rix. It was not that she was uninterested in opening a present- no- she just had no intentions of joining that frenzy of her gift-crazed siblings. She decided she would wait until their gifts were opened, and everyone was seated away from the tree once again.

In the meantime, she took a gingerbread cookie from a tray beside the sofa. This particular cookie was in the shape of a boy- a gingerbread man. His eyes were dark chocolate chips, and his wavy brown hair was made of a sweet milk chocolate. Black dyed frosting formed his round smile, and red frosting shaped the rosy cheeks upon his toasty cookie skin. His outfit was an elegant suit of white and dyed yellow frosting, complete with white chocolate chip buttons. The gingerbread man looked so young and darling, Attia felt just a sting of guilt knowing that he would be between her teeth in only a matter of seconds.

Once the gifts were opened, and the sweet gingerbread man had met his demise, Attia rose from her seat and approached the tree. Letting out a soft hum, she fumbled and searched through the remaining presents, looking for any that were labelled with her name. Far in the back, she found two of such. One was much larger and heavier than the other, and Attia turned to Rix upon discovering them both.

“Which one do you think I should open, Rix?”

Rix answered with a knowing smile, and with a tilt of his head and a tap to his cheek he said, “the greatest presents always arrive in the smallest packages, do they not?”

Attia agreed and nodded, and so she asked, “then I should save the smaller one for Christmas?”

“I do think so.”

And so Attia returned to the sofa with the larger of the two gifts in her hands. With a new secure place on her lap, she then began neatly tearing at the paper. After the wrapping was gone, she finally uncovered the box underneath. She quickly opened it to see the gift beneath.

To say Attia was confused would be an understatement.

She was never really one for toys or dolls, and yet there, resting in her lap, was a toy soldier. He was small- about the size of her forearm- and was gorgeously decorated with vibrant paints and beautiful carvings.

“Rix?” Attia asked with a uncertain voice. “I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, but are you sure this is the right gift?”

In response, Attia felt an elbow strike her arm from Azim’s side of the sofa.

But Rix did not seem offended. “I know it is a bit strange- especially for a girl like you who has long outgrown toys. But when I found this charming young man, I just knew I had to bring him to you. Trust me, I think you’ll grow to appreciate him more in the future. And look-!”

Rix now took the toy from Attia’s grasp and held it up for her to see. He reached behind the toy, and suddenly the jaw was moving up and down. “He’s a nutcracker!”

After the display, Rix handed the nutcracker back to Attia.

Attia could not deny that the toy was at least unique. She had never seen a nutcracker in her life quite like this one. For starters, his hair was a bright yellow blond rather than wispy and white. He had no hair upon his clean face- no beard nor mustache or painted stubble. His eyes were a stunning bright blue, and his wooden blond hair was carved into a neat ponytail. After inspecting his back, Attia discovered that this long ponytail was the lever which moved the jaw up and down when pulled. The soldier’s regiment coat was a striking scarlet red with golden buttons and trims completing it, and on his head he wore a tall wooden black hat. Holstered at his side was a silver wooden blade, and upon his legs were painted grey pants and black boots reaching his knees. But no feature quite stood out as much as the massive cheeky grin which displayed his perfectly painted white teeth, and at each end of this grin were two pink circles of endearing blush.

“Well...” Attia spoke in a hush while admiring the toy in her hands. “I admit, he is quite handsome.”

Then with a small smile which was most unexpected, Attia gently stroked the nutcracker’s cheek with a soft thumb. There was a peculiar warmth for the little toy which was beginning in her, and with each moment spent staring at him, this fondness grew.

And of course Rix noticed the admiring gaze in Attia’s eyes. “So you’ll take good care of him?”

Attia’s face immediately grew pink from embarrassment at being watched during the display of care for the toy. She removed her hand from the nutcracker’s face and rested him back down on her lap. Then she nodded her head. “Yeah, I will.”

Rix let out a small chuckle, then patted Attia’s shoulder. “Good! Because this one needs an eye watching over him. He likes to wander and get into trouble, and he gets lost too many times for his own good.”

Of course this could not be true. Toys do not walk. Attia just assumed that Rix meant he had frequently experienced losing the toy and often had to look around his messy house for him, or that his unusually active imagination was working to create fun characteristics for the nutcracker to entertain her with. Either way, she was fast to disregard the warning to continue admiring the gift.

A few minutes passed as Azim and Rix turned to each other to discuss meal plans for Christmas day, and during this time Attia rarely tore her gaze from the blond nutcracker. Eventually, the twin sisters Laya and Thana came to stand behind Attia and the sofa. They gazed over Attia’s shoulders at the toy, and immediately they began giggling.

“Aaaw, what a cute little fellow!” Laya cooed.

“His hair is so pretty!” Thana added.

“I like his eyes.”

Thana asked, “can I hold him?”

To this, Attia protectively hugged the nutcracker close under her chin and shook her head. “No.”

Her sisters respected her answer, but it drew the attention of all her other siblings. They circled around Attia and all took glances at the special nutcracker toy. Phrases of amazement and interest were spoken as heads leaned forward to stare more at him.

"He's a soldier, huh?"

"I wonder how many battles he won?"

"Or how many foes he vanquished?!"

But Attia brushed them all off with a smile, and so their interest soon faded. One by one they all began retiring to their bedrooms with their gifts in their arms. Attia was the last to leave for her room. She opened the door, then grinned around at the familiar atmosphere. She sweetly hummed a melody while she carefully set the nutcracker down on her bedside table, and this song continued as she changed into her comfortable yellow nightgown. When she was done, she made her way onto her bed and fluffed up her pillows. It was a comfortable bed, and she could already feel the effects of the soft buttery sheets and mattress.

But before closing her eyes, she placed a kiss upon her fingers and pressed them against the toy’s triangular nose. With that, she finally rested her head down on the pillows and allowed sleep to overtake her.

“Good night, Nutcracker.”


	3. Chapter 3

It was midnight when Attia woke to the chime of the grandfather clock in her living room. It played out its usual melody, then struck the C tone bell twelve times to announce the hour.

Attia noticed that strangely enough, considering the late hour in which she had awoken, she was not tired. On the contrary, she was well rested and could not easily return to sleep.

With a grunt of frustration, she rolled over onto her other side to search for a more comfortable position. It was at that moment, glancing over at her bedside table, when she realized that the wooden slab which once held her new nutcracker was empty.

She sat up in a flash and looked frantically around the room for the toy. Did he break off when she was carrying him to her bedroom? Was the rest of him still back in the living room?

That couldn't have been right, because she remembered kissing his nose before going to sleep. Regardless, she rose out of bed and put her slippers over her cold feet before wandering out her door. There would be no harm in checking the living room just in case.

She walked along the halls and down the steps until she finally made her way to the living room. She looked over to the sofa, but was disappointed to find no soldier nutcracker upon the damask cushions.

Suddenly, she heard the shake of wood against wood to her right. With a quick turn of her head, she checked for anyone who might have been responsible for the sound. There was no person, but she saw the wooden side table next to the sofa move back and forth, creating the same sound again.

Curiously, she crept forward until the table was just inches away from the tips of her fingers. She inspected the top and sides, looking for any causes of the disturbance, but she found none. Then she looked at the floor below the table, and what she saw there made her jump back with fright.

There, standing on the curved legs of the table and holding onto the neck for balance, was her wooden nutcracker. He had his carved sword in his grasp, and he was waving it threateningly towards a group of eight metal-scaled rats. They were nearing closer to him, and they had their glistening sharp teeth bared and ready to attack. If he had any fear at all, his wooden face was incapable of showing it, as it was permanently carved and painted in its unfocused stare and massive grin.

Not wanting the toy to fall victim to the teeth of the savage rats, Attia lifted her foot and seized her left slipper in her grasp. With it raised, she finally shouted, “if you so much as touch him, I swear I will-!”

Just then, all the heads in the tiny battle turned towards her. Without warning, the rats chose to surround her rather than the toy, but they did not pounce onto her ankles. Instead, they opened their hinged jaws wide, and from their mouths came a dark grey cloud of gas that burned her lungs with each breath she took. It clouded her vision and pained her body, and as the moments passed her coughing only grew worse and worse.

Then after long moments of agonized coughing, Attia was free from the dark cloud, and was suddenly falling through the air. The wind slapped and stung her face, and she screamed out as she became closer and closer to the ground far down below her.

When she was so sure that her fate was inevitable, she fell onto two cylinder shapes of solid wood. It wasn’t nearly as comfortable as falling onto cotton cushions, but it was a much better alternative to landing flat upon the wooden planks below. Her back ached, but at least she knew it was undamaged.

After gaining confidence that she was safe from her fall, she opened her brown eyes and looked up to see a pair two blue eyes staring back at hers. With a new heat upon her cheeks, she realized that her nutcracker toy had rushed forward to catch her in his arms.

But just when that realization snatched her thoughts, the arms slid out from under her, and she fell the rest of the small way down onto the ground.

She groaned and finally rubbed her back as she looked up to the toy that had both caught and dropped her. He looked different now. For one thing: he was larger. Much larger, in fact, that Attia could tell just by looking at him that he stood a number of heads taller than herself. Additionally, his carvings were now much more detailed and complicated. He had more joints, his proportions were arranged in a much more realistic form, and his narrower wooden face was able to shape into new expressions. The one he wore at that moment was a glare in his eyes and an irritated sneer upon his lips.

“You shouldn’t have gotten involved,” he finally spoke.

Attia was surprised to see this kind of attitude upon the festive looking toy. It was ironic to say the least. After a few more brushes and rubs to herself, she rose onto her feet and returned his stare again. “I’ve never been too fond of rats,” she explained.

To this, the nutcracker smirked and gave out a small chuckle. “Well now you really won’t like them. Trust me.”

Then, as if to emphasize his point, two rats charged forward to the nutcracker’s side to attack him. He was prepared, however, and he swiftly seized his wooden sword once more to strike them away with one strong swipe. They were hurtled back, only to be proceeded by three more rats.

“How come they look so much bigger now?” Attia asked over the chaos of the battle. “How come you look so much bigger now?!”

But the nutcracker only groaned loud with frustration. “Not now! Head back to the tree and hide. I’ll take care of this!”

Under different circumstances, Attia would have argued against that demand and insisted to help in the fight. However, she was fully aware that she was not armed like the nutcracker was, and not as obviously skilled in combat, and so she decided to obey the command. She turned to make her way towards the mountainous Christmas tree, leaving the nutcracker to fight off the mechanical rats.

But then something caught her attention: the candles upon the fireplace mantle.

They were still lit.

Immediately, Attia turned and hollered to the blond soldier toy, “hey! Follow me! Bring them over to the fireplace!”

His head turned with great speed as a frustrated and confused expression dressed his face. “What?! Why?”

“Just do it!” Attia called back.

She was now climbing up the carvings and grooves of the fireplace, making her way slowly up to the mantle. It was a laborious climb, but she ultimately made it to her destination. She took a moment to catch her breath in heavy pants, then gazed over onto the scene of the battle. She saw that the nutcracker had followed her instructions, and they were all fighting at the foot of the fireplace.

Good. Attia was ready.

She took position behind the warmest candle she could find, then placed her hands upon it and pushed with all her strength. It was no easy task, for the candle was now many sizes bigger than herself, but she still persisted and would not accept defeat. Finally the candle began to shift from her force, and just as it began to fall over, Attia ran to the edge of the mantle and shouted down below, “now run!!! Run away from the fireplace!”

She was relieved to see that the nutcracker did as he was told, and he was now running back towards the sofa with the rats trailing behind him.

The rats did not run far enough, however, because the candle fell right in the middle of them all. The hot wax poured out from the hollowed center of the candle to meet the cool surface of the metal scales. Soon, all the rats were encased in a thick waxy grasp, and their black joints and gears were unable to move.

The blond soldier gave out a loud triumphant laugh, then ran over to the trapped rats to tear off their mechanical heads one by one. During this, Attia made her climb back down from the mantle, and she collapsed upon her hands and knees when she met the floor. Every bit of her was sore from the evening’s unusual events, and now that the opponents were taken care of, she wanted nothing more than to give her body some rest. However, she knew that this night was far from over, and so once all the rats were terminated, and Attia’s muscles had begun to recuperate, she rose onto her feet and approached the toy nutcracker.

“Okay. Now time for some questions, please?”

He groaned and rolled his painted blue eyes, then finally agreed with a nod of his head. “Fine.”

“First, why is everything so big now?” Her arms were crossed and her inquisitive stare was casted upwards towards the tall toy.

“It’s not.” He sheathed his wooden sword. “You’re just small.”

“Wh-what?” she stammered. “I’m small?”

“Small,” he reiterated.

“Y-you mean like…-”

“The size of a doll, approximately.”

Attia could now feel her frightened heart pounding hard in her chest. “What? How did this happen?”

“I’m sure it was a curse, like what happened to me.”

Attia’s eyes flew open wider. “You mean you’re cursed?”

The nutcracker groaned louder as he masked his face with a hand. “Enough with the questions! I want to keep moving.”

He then took a few steps away, but was followed by Attia who walked quickly on her heels. “Wait! But I- I don’t understand what’s going on. I just want some help.”

He turned and looked over a broad jointed shoulder down at Attia, then sighed. “I know someplace where we can go. You can eat, rest, and we'll resupply. I’ll answer more questions when we get there, okay?”

Attia finally understood that she was not going to get any further explanation, and so she agreed with a reluctant nod of her head. When he resumed walking forward, she followed behind him. They made their way to a corner of the living room, and there Attia saw a hole in the wall which was likely carved by rats.

“Here we are,” he murmured as he stepped closer to the hole in the wall.

“What? I’m not going in there!”

To this, the nutcracker nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders. “If you want to stay the size of a toy the rest of your life, suit yourself. I really don’t care. I, however, intend to lift my own curse.”

Attia rocked from one foot to the other while gripping at the skirt of her nightgown; the image of uncertainty. She chewed on her lip as she thought, and when she saw the blond soldier begin his walk through the hole, she shouted out, “Wait!”

Surprisingly, this made the toy pause, and so Attia rushed forward to his side. “I’ll go.”

The nutcracker nodded, then turned his attention once more to the tunnel. He took a few more leading steps forward, and then the two entered into the empty darkness ahead of them.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keiro is an ass and we get to meet an adorably sweet (haha pun intended) Finn.

They did not walk far until suddenly the ground ended beneath their feet, and they fell through a long tunnel below. Attia screamed and shouted as she slid, far from expecting the sudden drop. The nutcracker ahead of her, however, remained silent the entire ride down, obviously unaffected by the fall.

Finally the two tumbled out of the tunnel and onto the ground beneath the opening. She collapsed on top of the larger soldier toy, who swiftly shoved her off and proceeded to stand once again. Attia laid motionless on the ground, still stunned from the sudden plummet she took. Around her was a delicate blanket of white fluff, and upon gathering the will to sit up in the material, she noticed it was not cold like snow. It was light and airy, and thus carried just a hint of chill, but it was far from cold. 

“What is this?” she asked while taking a scoop of it into her hands, and was surprised to find that it did not melt in her grasp.

“I think it’s sugar,” the nutcracker answered while shaking some white dust off of his boots. “I’m not sure though; I can’t taste.”

Surprised and immediately fascinated, Attia raised the clump in her hand to her face. After a curious sniff, she finally brought it to her mouth and took a bit to taste. He was right- it was sugar. It was soft, finely ground, powdered sugar. With a new smile on her lips, she eagerly tasted a bit more.

But the blond soldier was as impatient as ever. With a loud groan, he shouted, “are you done yet? I’d like to keep moving! If you don’t hurry, I’ll leave without you.”

To this, Attia humphed out an irritated breath of air and rose onto her feet. She said nothing, but followed close behind the toy. Would he actually leave her? She didn’t know, and she wouldn't ask.

As they walked, Attia took occasional glances up at the soldier. Everything about him seemed like such a stark contrast to her initial impression of him. For example: he was not tiny- rather he loomed over her like a tall and broad tower. And despite his cheery grin that was carved into his face when she first saw him, he was far from cheery. He was irritable and cynical, and only smiled with a crooked smirk when he had something arrogant or humorously dark to say. He was also not as festive or delicate as his bright appearance suggested. Instead, he was the image of power and intimidation, swaying his shoulders forward and back as he walked with a confident style. Furthermore, he may have worn a soldier’s uniform, but his style of combat and he way he presented himself read anything but righteous, orderly, or just.

It made her think of how a person’s soul on the inside is not always what you expect when looking at them from the outside.

Which reminded her…

“Hey,” she said as she turned to look up at him again, and this time she received his bright blue stare in return. “I never learned your name. What is it?”

The nutcracker turned his stare away and looked ahead again. “If you think this is the part when we begin to get all cozy and share everything about ourselves, then you’ll be severely disappointed.”

Attia crossed her arms and grunted again with annoyance. “You don’t need to be so difficult. I only asked for your name.”

After a few more steps, the nutcracker finally paused and looked down at Attia. “Well, at least that’s one thing I can remember. My name is Keiro.” Then, without waiting for a response, he marched on ahead again.

So it wasn’t choice. He wouldn’t share anything about himself because he couldn’t remember...

Suddenly, Attia felt a nauseating wave of intense guilt. But she didn’t let that distract her for too long, and she soon took quicker steps to catch up to the toy’s long stride. “Oh, okay. So your name is Keiro. Well, my name is At-”

“Attia,” he interrupted her. “I also remember hearing that.”

“What?” Attia’s eyes were now open wide. “You remember that? You mean you were conscious as a small toy?”

He did not speak to that, but he nodded his head in affirmation.

“The entire time?”

“The entire time.”

Attia’s head was hung low as she began to nervously hook and fumble her fingers together. “How much do you remember?” she asked in a softer and timid voice.

Attia didn’t see, for her gaze was still casted downward, but Keiro now had a cocky smirk across his wooden lips. “If you’re asking if I remember you calling me handsome and kissing my nose, then the answer is yes.”

Attia froze and gasped out in horror. She was now glad that the powder surrounding them was not snow, for if it was, it would have surely been melted away by the crimson heat overcoming her face.

It did not help when Keiro turned to say, “I also remember watching you change into your nightgown. Pink is a cute color on you.”

Attia then could not help the scream that shook in her throat. The heat on her face was too much, and the anger in her blood was too intense. "What? That's disgusting! You're a toy- an imaginary play thing! I don't want to think about toys watching me in my undergarments while I change. That's so gross!"

"Hey!" Keiro quickly turned and glared ferociously at her. A sensitive nerve had been struck, she could tell, and his blue eyes were blazing with a scorching rage. "I am not a toy- don't _ever_ say that again! I am real! I am a man who has been disguised as a toy against his will. Don't go around talking about me like I'm some fake object, understand? I'm not!"

Despite his evident anger, she refused to submit. "That doesn't excuse anything! You shouldn't have been watching me- That's creepy!"

The rage dimmed from his eyes as he carelessly shrugged his shoulders and crossed his arms. "It wasn't my fault I had no control over my limbs before midnight. You're the one who set me up that way. You should blame your embarrassment on yourself, not me."

“Y-you… you are insufferable!” With that, she quickly stormed forward and shoved Keiro into the white powder on the ground, kicked his wooden side when he was down, then stomped onward without him.

He let out an amused laugh as he watched her march on, then stood once again to follow her. Somehow, he knew that she would not be speaking to him for the rest of their journey.

It concluded at the end of the new day, when Keiro led Attia to the top of a hill. There at the peak they looked down on a small peaceful looking town. The first thing Attia noticed was that it was entirely made out of sugar. There were gingerbread walls, pretzel windows, graham cracker chimneys, gumdrop hedges, candy cane lamp posts, roofs crusted with frosting, and peppermint cobblestone streets. She could feel an ache beginning in her tooth just by gazing upon the buildings.

And just as quickly as she saw everything, Keiro was already walking forward. “This is our stop. You can rest here and we'll continue on tomorrow morning.”

Attia wanted to ask if he knew anyone in this town who would be willing to shelter them, but she decided to hold her tongue. She was still trying to silently communicate how infuriated she was with him, and she was sure that her curiosity would be satisfied soon enough.

Keiro strutted through the streets of the town, walking in a way that clearly communicated that he had been here before and knew the place. Attia, however, was both confused and amazed by the surreal sights around her. It was so much to take in, and by the time they had reached a small house at the edge of the town, she was hardly adjusted to the dream-like setting.

Keiro knocked a wooden fist upon the graham cracker door, signaling for the resident of the home to come greet who would soon become their unannounced guests.

When the door opened, Attia was pleasantly surprised to find who the resident of this home was.

It was a gingerbread boy, seemingly between hers and Keiro’s age. He had long wavy brown hair painted on his head from milk chocolate, and his eyes were sweet round dark chocolate chips encircled with white chocolate. The rest of his toasty face was decorated from variously colored frostings. Beyond that, however, he did not appear as most gingerbread men Attia had seen before. For one thing, just like Keiro, his proportions were far more realistic than those of his alternatives in Attia’s familiar world. He had a slender waist and arms, five delicately carved fingers, and a round face on top of a long thin neck. His legs were the length and width of a normal man, but he did not stand much taller than Attia. On his body, instead of additional sweets, he wore sewn fabrics of bright yellow and white in a charmingly fitted suit. Finally, which was most distinctive for the boy, he had depth; he was not a flat slab like most of the baked treats Attia had seen before. Truly, if one were to miss the occasional pores of his cookie skin, and the solid texture of his chocolate hair, he could pass as an ordinary young man with warm colored features and a lithe build.

Something about him seemed so agonizingly familiar, but Attia couldn’t bring herself to remember.

“Finn!” Keiro cheered out with a grin while spreading his arms wide.

To this, the boy, supposedly named Finn, smiled in return and stepped forward to give Keiro a quick hug. “Keiro! I was wondering when you would be back to get on my nerves again.”

“So it’s not just me…” Attia mumbled while crossing her arms.

Finn gave a small charming laugh, then nodded his head. “Yes. Keiro is a bit much, isn’t he?”

“I’ll say.” She was now looking away from the both of them- the spitting image of pure aggravation.

Keiro only rolled his painted blue eyes.

Finn, sensing the tension between the two travelling companions, decided to break the unsettling aura by asking Keiro, “so who is this new friend of yours?”

“Just some girl named Attia. She got the great idea to try defending me against some rats, and got a curse set on her just like everyone else in this miserable place. Now I’m stuck with her.”

“Excuse me?!” Attia gasped then instantly roared. “Did you just say, ‘try’? Because the last time I checked, it was my idea to trap them in wax! You would be sawdust now if it weren’t for me! I think traveling with me for a few days is worth getting your life saved, thank you very much!”

And Keiro did not hesitate to escalate the argument. “Don’t hold that against me! I didn’t ask you to save me! I could have well handled them by myself, and I don’t need you or anyone else. Don’t act like I owe you anything!”

Finn’s wide chocolate eyes communicated nothing but uneasiness, and so he turned and held the door open for the arguing pair. “U-uh, would you two like to come in?”

“Don’t mind if I do,” Keiro spoke harshly as he stepped forward to enter the doorway, but Attia was fast to step in front of him and cut him off. With a raised chin and balled fists, she made her way into the home before the blond toy soldier.

Just as it was on the outside, the inside of the home was built from sugar. Furniture was constructed from candies and treats, and in the small kitchen arranged in the corner was a basket of baked breads.

Attia couldn’t help but find a bit of pleasant comfort at the cozy atmosphere of the sweet and lived-in home. It ended quickly, however, as she sensed Keiro approaching behind her. The last thing she wanted at the moment was to be anywhere near the arrogant toy, and so she turned to Finn and asked him, “do you have a guest bedroom? I would like some time to myself.”

Finn respectfully nodded and pointed to the staircase before them. “Yes. It’s upstairs and the second door to the right. Feel free to stay there as long as you like, and call if you need anything brought to you.”

Attia smiled her appreciation to the boy, then turned and made her way to the guest bedroom. When she was there, she finally let out a huge frustrated sigh and collapsed upon the sponge cake bed shoved into the corner. All the anxiety, uneasiness, frustration, confusion, and anger finally flooded out of her in overwhelming tears that streamed down her face and onto the soft treat below her. With all her might she was able to keep her sobs silent, and they lasted until the pink sunset in the sky was gone and replaced with the stunning dark blue of the night.

At some time in the later evening, the door to the guest bedroom was softly knocked upon before it was opened. Attia was too afraid to look up and see who had entered the room, out of fear that it might be the blond who had so easily gotten on her nerves. When she felt a second pressure upon the bed, a voice finally spoke.

“It’s been a rough day, hasn’t it? I brought you a croissant. You should eat.”

The voice was Finn’s, not Keiro’s, and so Attia turned and looked at him. Concern was spread across his face, and he held the croissant out for her to take. After noting that she was indeed hungry, she sat up on the bed and took the croissant into her hands. It was warm, and when she brought it to her mouth, it was buttery and soft. Attia hummed and smiled a little more at Finn with appreciation. “Thank you,” she uttered softly.

Finn smiled back, then offered her a handkerchief as well. “You look like you could also use this.”

Attia nodded, then gently grabbed the handkerchief and wiped it across her face and under her swollen red eyes.

When she didn’t speak more, Finn continued with, “Keiro told me more about what happened, and what you two are planning- that you’re looking for a way to lift your curses.”

Attia nodded, then, for the first time since he entered the room, she made eye contact with him. “Is it true that everyone here is cursed?” she asked.

To this, Finn nodded. “This is a land where people go when they are turned into toys and treats. We’re cursed, and then forced to leave behind our past lives.”

Attia watched him. “Do you remember your past life? Keiro says he can’t remember most of his.”

Finn waited a few moments before lowering his head and slowly shaking it back and forth. “No, I don’t remember anything. Nothing at all. I even lost my name. Finn was the name given to me by the townspeople.” He sighed while rubbing his arm, clearly upset at these realities.

Immediately, Attia regretted her decision to ask such a personal question. “I’m sorry,” she whispered while affectionately placing a hand on his shoulder.

Finn looked over at Attia and weakly smiled at her visible concern. “Don’t be. It’s not your burden or your fault. But…”

“But?” Attia asked when his sentence trailed off.

Finn was now fidgeting his delicate fingers together, obviously contemplating something in his mind. “Do you think I can come with you two…? I would like to reverse my own curse and rediscover who I am again. I’m so tired of not remembering anything.”

To this, Attia nearly laughed at the obvious answer which this question would receive. “Of course you can, Finn. You don’t need our permission.”

Finn smiled, then leaned forward to pull Attia into a gentle hug. “Thank you.” After that, he released her and let out a sigh. “Well,” Finn stood from the bed and straightened out the new wrinkles in his clothes, “I’ll leave you to sleep now. We have a big day ahead of us, and you’ll need your energy.”

“Just me? What about you?” Attia asked.

Finn shrugged. “Toys and treats don’t need sleep or food. Keiro and I will stay up preparing and packing everything while you rest.”

“Huh. Aright then.” She laid back down on the bed to finally sleep, and when Finn turned to leave the room, Attia spoke again. “Finn?” she called out to him.

“Hm?” he asked in a hum while turning to look once more at her.

“Thank you. I feel a lot better now.”

Finn smiled again. “You’re welcome. Try not to cry anymore, okay?”

“I won’t. Don’t tell Keiro I cried though, okay?”

In response, Finn let out an amused chuckle. “I won’t tell him. Don’t worry.”

“Goodnight, Finn.”

“Goodnight.”

Then with that, Finn left the room and closed the door behind himself.


	5. Chapter 5

The next morning arrived with no melody of birds or rustling leaves. Attia awoke on the sponge cake bed, dismayed to find herself still in the world of candies and treats. She would not allow herself to dwell on this, however, and she rose from the bed to brush off the dirt from her legs and straighten her nightgown.

Across the room there was a mirror framed by a twisted pretzel and hung on the wall. She approached it and stroked her fingers through her locks of dark hair, hoping to brush it a bit neater. When she was finished, she took a moment to gaze at herself in the mirror. Her previous day of travelling through rat holes and sugary forests certainly showed- there were small cuts and stains throughout her body and clothes, and her short hair was falling flat from a lack of proper washing. But she was aware that there was nothing she could do about this, and so she just sighed and left the room to return downstairs.

When she arrived there, she saw Keiro seated at dining table and Finn standing beside him. They wore irritated looks upon their faces, and Attia could sense that they had reached a disagreement, and may have even been arguing. She decided against asking what was wrong, and she took a few quiet steps forward.

Upon hearing her footsteps, Finn turned to glance at her and replace his frown with a smile. “Good morning, Attia! I hope you slept well?”

He had traded his clean yellow suit for thick woolly clothes of brown and green, and before him on the table was a stitched up bag to carry.

Attia nodded and approached him with an appreciative smile. “Good morning, Finn. Yes, I did. Thank you.” She intentionally failed to acknowledge the silent Keiro with a similar greeting.

With that, Finn then turned to fish something out from his bag. When he retrieved it, he shouted out, “aha!” then turned once again to face Attia. “I made a coat for you last night so you wouldn’t get cold on our trip.”

It was a rough looking coat, made from the same worn down materials and stitched just as poorly as his own clothes and bag. Sewing with cookie fingers must have been difficult.

After the explanation, he wrapped it across Attia’s back and helped her arms through the sleeves. When he was finished, he straightened it out over her nightgown and gave it a little tug to help it fit more snugly. He smiled, and Attia could then feel her dark cheeks grow a bit warm and pink.

“Th-thank you again, Finn…” she murmured just barely loud enough to be heard. His kindness was making her heart throb and flutter stronger than usual.

But Keiro was less than impressed. There was a moment when he lowered his head, and he then stood from his chair with a groan. “Can we leave now? You two are holding me back.”

Attia glared and barked over Finn’s shoulder towards the arrogant soldier toy. “If you’re so annoyed with us, you can just leave and lift your curse on your own!”

There was a moment when Keiro froze with a stunned quiet, but it ended when he spat back with just as much fury, “Yeah! Why don’t I, huh?!”

Finn sighed, then diplomatically answered, “Because you need us, Keiro.” Finn turned to look down at Attia and give her an equally disappointed stare. “We all need each other.”

Attia paused, then lowered her head with shame. Finn was right- they all needed to cooperate. She could understand that much.

With that, Finn then took the bag and threw its strap over his shoulder and across his chest. “Let’s get started then.” He marched ahead of the silent two, leading them out of the back door in his home and into the peppermint streets outside. There was still just a sliver of cotton pink upon the horizon from the early morning sun.

The trio walked to a new region of the forest that Keiro and Attia had not walked through the previous day. Above them loomed trees with candy cane trunks and white chocolate leaves, and their feet stomped through the white powdery sugar with ease.

After some time, Finn decided he had enough of the silence. He ended it by explaining, “We’ll walk until the sun goes down. Then we’ll camp, and Attia can rest.”

“Why is it we need to set up a whole camp just for her to-” Keiro began, but before he could finish speaking, he suddenly fell forward with a shout into the layer of white fluff upon the ground.

Attia and Finn both gasped and turned to help him back up. Upon doing so, they realized that his right leg below the knee had gone missing. Immediately Finn released his hold on Keiro, leaving the task of keeping him up to Attia. He crept along the forest floor, beginning his search for Keiro’s leg.

Keiro and Attia both watched while he searched. She looked up at the tall toy hunched over her and grunted, “You’re so heavy.” It was true. The wood he was made of must have been some kind of dense hardwood, and she could feel every pound of it weighing down on her shoulders.

Keiro laughed out a breath of air. “Oh dear! I’m sorry that my broken leg inconveniences you so much, darling! Please do forgive me.”

His sarcasm failed to entertain her once again. Yes, definitely some kind of maple or pine. He was both heavy and hard headed.

“I found it!” Finn cheered upon retrieving Keiro's jointed leg from the sugary snow. He took a few steps to return to the visibly unhappy pair, then dropped onto his knees to begin reattaching the wooden limb to its original socket.

While Finn worked with a few occasional grunts, Attia looked up at Keiro to softly ask, “Does it hurt?” Right after she asked, she mentally reprimanded herself for voicing any concern at all.

Keiro shook his head and answered with, “I don’t feel anything.”

There was a certain shape in Keiro's eyes during that moment which Attia had never seen before. Mostly they were half-lidded with boredom or lack of amusement, but there was something else. It seemed almost like hurt, but a new kind of hurt- an emotional ache, almost, or some kind of sorrow. Weariness, perhaps?

And just as quick as it came, it was gone.

Finn finally stood from his work and crossed his arms. “Well, uh… I did everything I could. It's back in its socket, but I wasn’t able to make it fully attached. The axle in the joint is broken.”

Keiro let out a disappointed groan. “What? So I have to hobble the rest of the way?”

“No,” Finn shook his head, “it's secure enough that you can walk a bit longer. You can't run, though, and certainly no fighting. We need to find someone who can repair you as soon as possible.”

Keiro seemed satisfied with that answer, so he heaved himself off of Attia and stood on his own. “Good. Then let’s keep moving.”

“H-huh? What?” Finn stammered towards Keiro, who was already a few good steps ahead. “Don’t you want to stop and let your leg settle first?”

Keiro shouted back as he continued marching. “No! What I want is to get rid of this bloody curse!”

Attia and Finn took uneasy glances towards each other as Keiro walked ahead of them both, eager as ever to complete his journey. They both shrugged, then followed after him.

When the cool night arrived, and camp was set up someplace deeper in the candy cane forest, Keiro and Finn sat beside each other as Attia slept across from them. There was a fire set to keep the girl warm, and flickers of amber light and dark shadows danced and fluttered against the twisted trees.

Finn read over some old maps he stored in his bag while Keiro sat still, watching the ever-changing forms of the fire. The hot red and orange colors were enough to entrance him.

Eventually the silence and simple desire to understand brought Finn to ask, “Keiro? What exactly is our plan? Where are we going?”

To this, Keiro laughed. "You mean you haven't figured it out already? We've been traveling all day."

"You only told me to take you West," Finn softly argued in his defense.

Keiro curved his lips in a thoughtful angle, then answered with, “Well, it was the Rat King who cursed all of us, wasn’t it? So my thought is this: if we go to his palace and fight him, then our curses will be killed along with his miserable self.” There was a sharp hate to his tone that almost made Finn flinch.

But Finn just stared ahead into the dark forest beyond and thought for a moment before asking, “But do we know that will work?”

“No. Who does knows what will work? If we had that answer, everyone would be leaving this place at once.” Keiro grunted with an accumulating irritation, then kicked some white powder off the ground and into the fire. As the sugar made pops and sparks in the hot flame, he continued with, “but it’s worth a damn try. Besides, it will be nice to finally tear that artificial bastard apart.”

Finn turned his brown gaze to look at Keiro. For some reason he couldn’t tell or remember, he knew Keiro. He understood him and could recognize all his tendencies. He knew how much his hate ran deep, and how quick he was to anger. What he felt towards the Rat King was nothing less than such.

Keiro’s painted blue eyes were now glaring ahead at the snuggled up bundle of a sleeping Attia under the sheets. “It’s such a bloody bother that we’ll have to stop every night like this so the girl can rest, though.”

Finn also knew how Keiro masked fear. It was layered beneath masks of confidence, and it was projected as frustration upon others around him.

“I know you’re afraid, Keiro, and you’re worried and eager to fix all of this. But you really should stop taking it out on her. It’s not fair.”

The wooden lids around Keiro’s eyes flew open wide, and when he turned to Finn and opened his mouth to argue, Finn wouldn’t allow a single word to pass his lips.

“-Especially because you like her so much. It won’t make a good impression.”

Now Keiro was stunned silent, and he scowled and looked away from Finn again. With his wooden arms crossed, he stubbornly spoke with a bitter attitude. “I don’t like her at all! What gives you an idea as stupid as that?”

“I’ve never seen you willing to work with anyone other than me before. If you didn’t like her, you would have left her behind long ago.”

To this, Keiro had nothing to say.

“She also wouldn’t be able to get on your nerves as easily as she does. You don’t usually care what anyone thinks about you.”

Keiro’s head was now lowered. Dark shadows from the fire were casted upon the angular features of his wooden face.

“And I also saw how you put that croissant into my field of vision. Giving that to her was your idea, not mine, but you knew she wouldn’t accept it from you.” Finn now had a knowing smile on his lips. “You care about her.”

Keiro grumbled something Finn could not hear, then unhappily grumbled, “She’s a pain, and besides…” Keiro stood and kicked some powdered sugar off of his legs, “I think she’s beginning to like someone else.”

Finn curiously raised an eyebrow, but decided to not ask who Keiro was speaking of. He knew it was not Keiro's place to share such information about Attia's personal relations.

Finn watched as Keiro began to walk away from the camp, then asked, “Where are you going?”

Keiro kicked some fallen peppermint aside, then continued forward, into the dark forest. “I’m going for a walk. I’ll be back by sunrise.”

Finn curled his legs up to his chest and rested his head on his knees, then let out a heavy sigh. This was only their first day of traveling, and already everything was so difficult between his companions.

Hopefully tomorrow would be a more rewarding day.


	6. Chapter 6

Attia shuffled deeper under her blankets to delve more into the serenity of warmth which surrounded her and guarded her from the chill of the morning. The sweet cotton smell of the powdered sugar danced in her dream-dulled senses as small airy flakes fluttered down from the skies and upon her sleeping figure. To leave this beautiful state would be a terrible shame, but she awoke regardless to a hand which frantically tapped and shoved her shoulder. She blinked her eyes awake, then turned and saw Finn leaning over her.

She saw that there was worry spread across his face, and so she asked, “Finn? Is something wrong?”

He took in a deep breath, then nodded his head. “Keiro left last night to take a walk. It’s morning, and he still hasn’t returned.”

Attia sat up in a rush, throwing her blankets off of herself. “What? Really?”

Finn bit his cookie lip soft enough that it wouldn't break, then nodded his head once again.

She could only slap her hands onto her face and groan. “That idiot… what was he thinking?!”

Finn gulped, then continued with, “Attia, I’m scared. He has a broken leg. What if he’s in trouble?”

She lowered her hands from her face to look once more at the worried Finn. She sighed, then lowered her head. “Let’s go look for him.”

The two stood onto their feet, then packed their things with haste before finally setting off again.

“Which direction did he wander off to?” Attia asked.

Finn answered, “I remember him going this way.” He pointed East, then led her forward.

While they walked side-by-side, Attia kept conversation by asking, “why did he walk off on his own? What were you two talking about?”

Finn got a funny pinched look on his face that nearly made Attia giggle. Since he failed to answer, she proceeded to guess, “did he get all hot-headed again at something you said? It seems likely. He has such an awful temper.”

Attia was surprised to see Finn shake his head. “No, not quite. He didn’t get mad.”

Attia opened her mouth to ask for more clarification, but before she could, Finn continued with, “but I don’t think he would appreciate me telling you. I’m sorry, Attia.”

She bit the inside of her lip, then nodded her head once. “I understand.”

If it were important enough, she would learn about it sooner or later.

Eventually, the two came across a large fallen over candy cane tree which blocked their path and was far too massive to climb over. Finn placed his hands on his waist, then looked around, contemplating what to do next. He spoke his thoughts aloud: “Well, there’s no way he could climb over this, even if he were stubborn enough to want to. He probably changed paths. We should-”

He was interrupted when he heard a "snap!" to his right. The two quickly turned their heads, but they saw nothing in the white and red forest beyond. Finn took a few steps towards where he heard the disturbance only to find a trail of blocky footprints in the snow. A wide grin immediately spread across his face. “He went this way!”

Attia hurried fast behind him as he ran forward to follow the footprints. “Wait for me, Finn!” she called after him, but his running did not seem to slow. She cursed her short legs under her breath. “Finn, slow down! I don’t want you to break your leg too!”

Finally the pair reached a clearing in the candy cane forest, and there, laying on the ground, they found their blond toy soldier companion. He had his own wooden leg in his grasp, a frustrated look upon his face, and his gaze casted up towards the candy pink sky.

“Keiro!” Finn rushed forward to help. He knelt beside Keiro in the sugary snow and observed the situation which he was put in.

Attia, of course, was less eager to rush to the nutcracker’s side and aid him.

“So,” Keiro laughed with a dark amusement, “you two finally decided to come check up on me. I’m flattered.”

"Of course we di-"

“Oh, hush!” Attia stomped her foot. “We shouldn’t have had to search for you in the first place. If you didn’t run off on your own like this, then you wouldn’t have-”

“What happened?” Finn asked with worry, swiftly interrupting Attia.

“I’m glad at least one of you is concerned,” Keiro huffed out in an angry breath of air. “I saw a rat. I charged at it, but my leg fell out of its socket before it even noticed me. I tried crawling back to camp, but by the time I reached this place, I was exhausted, and I decided to lay here until one of you found me.”

Attia couldn’t help the frown that grew wider across her lips. So the nutcracker ran towards fight, even though Finn told him to do neither of those tasks. Ugh. His arrogance would be his final demise, she just knew it.

She crossed her arms as Finn took Keiro’s leg from his grasp and began shoving it back into its knee socket. While he worked, more snapping shook throughout the forest around them. Attia watched around with nervous eyes. “Uh, Finn…? I hear more-”

“I know someone who can help your friend.”

It was a light voice- a high pitched voice. It was so dainty that it seemed to chime with harmonies of countless violins, and any other sound would be able to disrupt it with ease.

All three heads instantly whipped towards the voice. Finn rose onto his feet when he finished shoving Keiro’s limb back into its socket, and he called out towards the voice. “Who’s there? Where are you?”

To answer his call, a figure stepped out from behind a candy cane tree. It was a small girl, but not as small as Attia- she still stood a few centimeters taller. She was dressed in a pale blue and pink ballet ensemble with a glittering skirt and feathered leotard. Upon her tiny feet she wore light pink dancing slippers, and upon her back she had shimmering blue wings. Long lashes fluttered above dark sapphire eyes, and her light hair was styled into flawless curls which framed her beautiful pale face. Attia observed that, like Keiro, this individual was a toy. She had orbs for joints, but her skin shone more than any wood material. She was likely a porcelain doll rather than wooden, and she was breathtakingly gorgeous and delicate looking.

Attia turned to see Finn, and in that brief second she saw something in him that she had never seen before. For just a moment he appeared human again. There was wonder sparkling like stars across his once-chocolate eyes, and was it possible that his red frosting cheeks were now even redder?

With a clearing of his throat, however, it was gone. He took a step forward and he began to speak again, “h-hello there. May we please-”

From his step forward, the girl stepped back. Seeing her brief retreat, Finn was compelled to step forward more, which only caused her to further retreat. Soon, the two were in a chase across the snow and through the trees. She effortlessly twirled and lept in graceful dances while he ran after her, trying his best to reach her heels.

“P-please!” he begged, “we need your help! Stop running from me, please!”

From his pleas, the girl glanced over her shoulder at him and sent a smile his way. There was something in that smile that told him this was no more than a game, and soon, instead of begging, he was laughing.

All the while, Attia stood with her jaw hanging open at the sight she just saw. This new stranger was beautiful, and Finn was currently in a flirtatious chase after her. Something unpleasant which she could barely explain was beginning to blossom in her chest.

Keiro finally stood on his regained leg and brushed himself off with a smirk and a laugh. “Well, look at that. Finn found a pretty new ladyfriend.”

For once, Attia had nothing to say in defense of Keiro’s remark. She only stood in solemn silence, now gripping at her nightgown, ugly from stains and tatters. In this silence Keiro heard her disappointment, and he took a step closer. He opened his mouth to speak, but closed it again upon finding nothing to say. Soon he opened his mouth once more, and he settled with the words, “maybe you’ll find your own slippers one day.”

Attia looked at him, confused, intending to ask what he meant by those words. She couldn't recall losing any slippers, so there weren't any to find, were there? Then she saw the unusually gentle look in his eyes, and so she decided to stay quiet. Whatever he meant, it was obviously well-intended, and she was happy to accept his change in attitude towards her. When she returned her attention to the running pair who were circling the clearing, she sensed a presence hovering above her shoulder, but it was soon gone. She sighed.

The porcelain girl giggled as she hid behind a candy cane tree, and with a loud laugh Finn threw himself onto that same tree and turned aside to find her. She tilted the other way to avoid his gaze, and soon the two switched sides. Eventually Finn came face-to-face with the girl, and the proximity sent a fuzzy warmth to his face. He crookedly grinned, then took the girl’s hand and twirled her into a hug. It ended quickly, however, when he smiled and released her. He rubbed his neck, then said, “there, I caught you. N-now can you please tell me who you are and who can help Keiro?”

The girl’s smile faded as she carefully bowed her head and elegantly spread her slender arms in a proper presentation. “My name is Claudia, and I have a friend: a man who specializes in repairing and re-engineering toys. He is called the Great Sapient, and he has cared for me many times. I am confident he can aid your companion.”

Finn smiled his grand appreciation. “Would you be able to take us to him?” he asked.

Claudia nodded her head, and soon Finn had her hand in his grasp and he was leading her back to his two friends. "That's great!" he said gladly. "I don't know what we would have done if you hadn't arrived to help us. Thank you."

Claudia released the faint beginnings of a small smile while she confessed, "actually, helping you wasn't my very first intention. I began following behind you and your small friend because I recognized you. I was curious and so certain I had seen you somewhere before, so I wanted a closer look. When I saw that your other friend was of ill condition, however, I was reminded of the genius who had repaired so many toys before, and I knew I wanted to help."

Finn sighed. He too felt a bit of familiarity with the toy fairy at his side, but he decided against mentioning that since he saw how the topic had already begun to shift. "Well, once again: thank you."

"Your gratification is my reward. May I know the name of my new companion?"

Finn shyly fidgeted with his tattered shirt and sweater as he let out a boyish and embarrassing kind of laugh. "M-my name is Finn."

"Well, Finn, I am happy to be in your company, and I eagerly anticipate making the new acquaintance of your two friends."

"I'm sure they'll both love you too. They're great once you get to know them, trust me."

And just as he said those words, they finally reached sight of the short brunette and the tall blond standing side-by-side.

“Hey guys!” Finn called to them. “Claudia knows a man who can fix Keiro! She’s gonna take us to him!”

Attia let out a heavy breath of air and rolled her eyes. She already had one companion who frequently got on her nerves; two was going to be a disaster.

But Keiro seemed to contrast her disappointment. He grinned, then turned to march onward yet again. “Great! Let’s keep moving.”

“But you don’t know where we're going,” Finn spoke ahead. “Claudia and I will lead.”

And so, like he explained, Finn walked ahead with the beautiful fairy doll at his side. On occasion she would twirl or flutter into the air while they strolled, and each time Attia became more annoyed with her presence. Too much charm was far too irritating. She crossed her arms and found herself with nothing to say for quite some time.

“I’ve never really cared much for white chocolate,” Keiro suddenly declared while he walked at her side.

Attia was caught off guard by this unannounced statement, and found herself quite confused. Then she saw the tall wooden toy pulling a white chocolate leaf off of his carved yellow hair, and she smiled with a small laugh. For the first time in a long while, she was happy to hear his words break the silence. It was a small distraction from their thus-far disappointing journey, and she recognized how it was a symbol of reconciliation in all of its pure simplicity.

“Yeah, me neither.”


	7. Chapter 7

The journey seemed endless.

Finn and Claudia chatted pleasantly ahead as Attia and Keiro lingered behind. They didn’t have much to say to each other, but the tense and bitter air between them had seemed to dissipate into a silent comfort.

Attia glanced to the side, watching Keiro as he walked with a faint limp caused by the insecurity of his broken leg. She had previously offered to help aid him as he strolled, but he immediately refused. His pride would never allow such a thing.

After hours of quiet walking, Attia decided to begin conversation once again. “So, Keiro, do you remember anything more than your name and your life as a to- before the curse?” She quickly corrected herself, remembering how he hated being called ‘toy.’

“Oh?” Keiro smirked with a small laugh. “So now you want to learn all about me, huh?”

Attia crossed her arms. “Maybe a little. We are traveling together, anyways.”

“Well I can’t really blame you.” Keiro sighed and dramatically brought a hand up to his chin. “I am quite amazing.”

“Uh huh, you sure are.”

Keiro ignored her sarcasm and kicked a candy rock aside as he began. “Well, I don’t remember much. I do remember being a student of some kind, but I studied alone and in a home. I remember working in a small house with wood panelling, and I remember working with swords and gold coin, so I think I might have been a student to a blacksmith.”

“It would explain why you’re so skilled with swords,” Attia thought aloud. Her cheeks turned a bit pink from accidentally sharing the compliment. Damn! Now his ego would boost higher than ever, and it would never come back down.

He grinned wide, then nodded his head. “Yeah, that makes sense to me too. I also remember climbing up onto the shabby roof and sitting there in the cold just to watch the red sunset. I love the color red.”

Attia turned and looked at the distant, unfocused stare in his eyes. She smiled, seeing the pleasant memories reflected in the back of his blue gaze.

“I like orange and pink.”

Now it was Keiro’s turn to look down at her, and he gave a small smile to her. “Those are nice colors too.”

She smiled back, then returned her stare to the ground.

“What about you?” Keiro asked. “What was your life like before being swept into all of this?”

“You mean you care?”

He shrugged. “It’s conversation to pass the time.”

Attia's smile faltered for just a moment. “Well, I have seven siblings who are all older than me. Azim is the oldest, and he takes care of us.” She would have mentioned the others, but for some reason, all six of their names were difficult to remember at the moment. “I love to read, and I…” she soon began to trail off, not knowing what more to say.

“What? What’s wrong?”

“I can’t remember much else,” she answered in a soft whisper.

“Ah,” Keiro shrugged his shoulders. “I figured that would start soon. Everyone begins forgetting a few days after their curse.”

“Keiro, I’m serious!” Panic began growing in her voice.

He then curiously raised his eyebrow. “So am I.”

“Keiro, what if I forget everything?! Oh no, I don’t want to forget my family! My brothers, my sisters, my warm cozy home- I don’t want to lose all of that! Help, please!” Suddenly her voice was bouncing with hiccups, and since when were her cheeks wet?

Claudia and Finn had stopped walking and turned to approach the sobbing Attia.

“H-huh? What’s wrong?” Finn had his brows furrowed deep with concern.

“She’s beginning to forget her life before the curse,” Keiro explained. Suddenly, Attia felt two hard hands grip her arms below the shoulders. “Attia, relax. Calm down and take deep breaths. It’s going to be okay. They don’t all just vanish at once, and besides: This is what we’re already setting off to fix, right?”

Attia stared ahead at the blond soilder now bent down to reach eye-level with her. She gazed long and hard at him while her lips trembled and her eyes continued flooding, then she finally nodded.

“Good. We’re going to fix this. We’re going to take care of it. You won’t forget everything, trust me.”

To this, Attia’s trembling lips asked, “promise?”

Keiro paused, then spoke softer. “What?”

“Promise I won’t forget everything?”

After what seemed like centuries of stillness, Keiro finally nodded his head firmly. “I promise you won’t forget everything. I won’t let it happen.”

She exhaled a breath, then dipped her head down and pressed her forehead against his wooden chest. A “thunk” sounded out from the contact. “Thank you,” she whispered, just barely loud enough for the blond to hear. He grumbled something unintelligible, and there the two stayed for a few moments until Attia finally regained her composure. She lifted her head from his chest, then smiled at him with weak and red-rimmed eyes.

Claudia cautiously took a step forward. “Is everything calm again?”

Attia’s smile faded, but she politely nodded her head. “Yes, I’m fine now. Thank you.”

Finn exhaled his relief, then offered her a warm grin. “Good. Claudia says the tower is just beyond this hill here. We’re very close.”

Attia wiped a few last tears from her face, then eagerly began walking forward. “Then let’s go. Keiro needs to get his leg fixed.”

With Attia leading the rest, they finally climbed the summit of the hill, and there they all gazed upon the tall magnificence of the towering cobblestone structure. Dark green moss decorated the bottom, revealing the age of the building, as vines of ivy crawled up in twists and spirals through the stones. It reminded Attia of the tower from one of Rix’s fairy tales, though she couldn’t recall which one.

Keiro whistled. “A bit old and shabby, I admit, but still very impressive.”

Claudia smiled, then stepped forward to approach the building. “It will be better inside, I guarantee. Come.”

And with obedience the three other companions followed the porcelain fairy doll. She knocked on the front doors to announce their arrival, then grasped the circular handles and tugged the doors open. Despite her fragile appearance, she must have been very strong to be able to pull open those doors. Loud creaks sounded out from the old hinges moving, and dirt crumbled to the ground.

“Master?” Claudia called into the cold stone entrance. “I have returned.”

After her words, she smiled her reassurance to the three and led them inside. Attia gazed up at the long spiraling stone staircase above them. It was going to be a very long climb. She uneasily glanced over at Keiro.

He must have sensed her concern, because he only smirked and shrugged his shoulders. “Don’t worry about me. It will be a piece of cake.”

To prove it, he took the first step onto the staircase and began his ascent. There was a visible amount of struggle in his steps, but he never failed to continue forward. Attia, Claudia, and Finn, all stepped close behind him, ready to catch him if he were to fall. Much to their pleasant surprise, however, he never did. Soon all four of them were gathered at another wooden door atop the staircase. Just like the entrance, Claudia was the one to knock on then open it.

The room inside was far more exquisite and expansive than any library Attia could remember being in. Books and aged scrolls were scattered across the dark paneled floors, and tall bookshelves reached towards the distant pointed roof. Maps and ancient passages of unintelligible languages were framed and hung on the walls, and desks were shoved everywhere, cluttered with notebooks and writing utensils. The largest telescope Attia had ever seen was placed beside a window, shimmering with a beautiful bronze metal that reflected the golden light of the lanterns hanging from the wooden rafters.

“Master? Are you here?” Claudia tried calling once more.

This time, she received a response.

“I’m over here,” a soft, weak voice spoke from beyond a wall of shelves to their left.

Claudia led them there, and they were greeted by the sight of a tall and lanky man dressed in shimmering green robes. His black hair was groomed into neat curls, and his soft eyes were drooped in a clear expression of exhaust. He looked every bit a scholar: tired, weak, and sophisticated.

But what was most distinctive on this man was his shimmering skin and eyes of copper metals.

"An automaton," Attia whispered low enough for none to hear.

“Who are these? New friends of yours?” there was a gentle smile on his copper lips now.

“Indeed,” Claudia answered with a polite bow of her head. “This young man here is named Finn, the small one is named Attia, and the blond is named Keiro.”

Finn awkwardly grinned, then greeted the older man with a bow of his head, just as Claudia had done. “M-may we know your name, good sir?”

Thin fingers were brought up to the scholar’s chin as he got a curious look upon his face. His lips were pursed into a thoughtful frown, and his dark brows were furrowed. “My name? I can not recall my name. I believe it started with a J, or was it a G? Hm… the more I think, the more I believe it may have begun with an S. I am not sure.”

Claudia shot a concerned look towards Finn, and so he encouragingly replied, “don’t worry yourself over it, Master. I can’t remember my name either. Finn was given to me by others.”

The scholar looked troubled no longer, and he weakly smiled at Finn. “Then you must know as well as I how irrelevent a title is. Regardless of my name, do I not love my books and stars all the same? And are you still not the sensitive and creative soul that has touched so many hearts, Finn or otherwise?”

Keiro grumbled and casted his gaze aside, unimpressed by the symbolic speech. “Meh, I hate poetry…”

Attia smiled with amusement while elbowing his side. She knew he would not feel it, but she did so anyways. “At least try to show some respect. This man can help you.”

The scholar heard the two whisper, and so he stepped forward and gestured towards the soldier. “You require my assistance?”

Attia stepped in front of Keiro before he could speak. “This silly goof tripped. He needs your help to fix him.”

Keiro would have been offended if she had not used such an adorably childish insult as “silly goof.” Instead of getting angry, he only pouted his wooden lips a little and averted his eyes.

The master hummed while he thought, then tilted his head, watching Keiro with his green gaze. “What exactly needs fixing?”

Finn explained, “an axle in his knee joint snapped.”

“Ah.” The scholar then grinned. “That is a simple fix. Come with me.” He then walked between the four companions, leading them through the study with his folded copper wings trailing along the floor behind him.

“Those are huge…” Finn watched the wings drag as he whispered to Claudia, low enough that the master wouldn’t hear and possibly take offense.

“Yes,” she answered. “He constructed them himself with gears and wire. It’s his greatest creation.”

The scholar then took the companions to a sofa in the back of the room. He pushed the scattered scrolls aside, then turned to Keiro. “You may lay here while I work.”

Keiro smirked, then rested on his back upon the violet sofa.

The master then addressed the other three teenagers. “And you all may wander around and enjoy my collection while I help your friend. Please try to keep everything organized.”

Attia and Finn nodded their heads with respect, then turned to leave. Claudia didn’t move. “Master, may I stay and help you work? We have much to talk about since we last spoke.”

He smiled gently at the porcelain doll, then nodded his head. “Of course.”

And so Attia and Finn wandered through the shelves while Claudia and Keiro remained with the master. They picked out books and glanced at them before returning them to their proper places, and gradually they wandered to a sectioned off area of the study. Attia and Finn looked around at these shelves of books, which were all dark and binded the same.

“Wow, this is one really long series,” Attia whispered with amazement. There must have been hundreds and hundreds of the darkly binded books.

“Let’s pick one out and see what it’s about,” Finn proposed with a sugary grin. His cookie fingers grabbed one book, and he brought it over to the desk in the center of the room before opening it up. He scanned over one page as Attia approached to read as well.

  
_“He sleeps: his breathings are not heard_  
_In palace chambers far apart_  
_The fragrant robes are not stirred_  
_That lie upon his charmed heart_  
_He sleeps; on either hand upswells_  
_The silver-fringed pillow lightly prest_  
_He sleeps, nor dreams, but ever dwells_  
_A perfect form in perfect rest.”_

 

“It looks like a fairy tale- one that my Uncle Rix used to read to me when I was smaller.” She was glad she could still remember that.

But Finn gave no response, and so she looked over to him and saw that the excited smile on his face had vanished. In its place was a distressed frown, and his eyes were flown open wide.

“Finn…?”

He drew in a deep breath, then gently closed the book as water began dripping from his eyes.

That was strange. Do cookies even have tear ducts?

Attia did not puzzle on this for a second longer, though. That was not important. Her friend was in obvious distress, and she wrapped her arms around his shoulder to hold him in a comforting embrace.

“I know who that book was about…” he said in a shaking voice. “I remember now.”

Attia curiously rose an eyebrow, then looked up at her astounded and aching friend. “What do you remember?”

“I remember who I was before, I remember how I got cursed, and I remember what happened to Keiro. I remember everything.”

Great surprise came over Attia, but she did not let that affect her. She squeezed her arms tighter around Finn to secure him in a tighter hug. “You can take your time telling me, and only if you want to,” she offered.

He took in another deep breath as he tried to calm his running tears, then he wiped his face with his sleeve. The red frosting on his cheeks had become smeared.

“I remember waking up in this world. I was confused and lost. I didn’t understand why I wasn’t still at home in my bed, sleeping. I even still had my pajamas on. I thought maybe it was a dream, but it still felt too real. I wandered around, looking for any way I could get back to my home, but I didn’t recognize any of the places I saw.”

He took in another breath, then broke from Attia’s hug to lean his rear against the table. “Then I came across a huge palace made of sugary sweets, and I figured if I had any hope of learning about this land and how to get home, it would be there. I went inside, and I was greeted by great fanfare. I was so confused when guards approached me and told me they had been searching everywhere for me. They surrounded me- not to threaten me, but to protect me- and they led me to a fancy bedroom with bright colors and expensive looking decorations. I stood there alone for some time, then decided I might as well properly dress myself. I found a nice blue suit and put it on, then left the room. I wandered around the palace, and everywhere I went, servants dropped to the floor and bowed their heads to me. I didn’t understand why, so I would smile at them and tell them to rise. They looked so flattered when I did that…” he sighed and closed his eyes.

Attia was amazed by how much he was now remembering. She watched him with round eyes.

“Finally I made my way to some kind of throne room, and more fanfare played as I was taken to a throne next to an angry looking woman. Her name was Queen Sia. I frantically looked around as I was seated, then it was announced that I was the long-lost prince, and I had returned home to my family. I was so confused. I wasn’t home, I was away from home. I couldn’t remember being the prince of any sugary fantasy world. I tried opening my mouth to ask for more explanation, but loud cheers interrupted me.”

“You… you’re a prince?” Attia asked in a dumbfounded whisper.

He sheepishly smiled as he wiped more tears from his eyes. “Apparently. Everyone looked so happy to have me, and I figured this would give me the chance to return home- power, information, wealth, all of that, you know? I would have the resources to leave, so I accepted the role. For a few months, I played my part as the prince, and I tried my best to make everyone happy. I wanted to be a noble ruler- someone that everyone loved. Sia wasn’t happy, though- especially as time passed and I became more comfortable with being a prince. I began to wonder, ‘why not stay? I’m a prince, and surely my life back home isn’t nearly as great as this, right?’ The same day that I finally decided to myself that I would stay, Sia approached me with a furious glare in her eyes. She said, ‘how dare you return and threaten to take everything back from me?’ Then everything went dark, and I fell into a deep sleep.”

“Did the sleep send you back home?”

“No. I don’t remember how long I slept, but one day I suddenly woke up in my palace sheets, and I saw a Keiro in front of my bed. He had half the shell of a nut between his teeth, and the other half of the shell in his grip. He was watching me while he took a few careful steps back.”

“You mean Keiro was there?”

Finn slowly nodded his head. “Yes, and he was still human, just like me. But then he tripped backwards, and we both heard an evil mechanical laugh as he became a wooden nutcracker toy and I fell back asleep again.”

Attia gulped.

“I woke up sometime later in my little gingerbread house, and Keiro was there with me. He was now a nutcracker, and he had a new nut cracked open by his teeth. He told me, ‘I was able to wake you up again, but since the spell failed the first time, it only helped a little.’ At that time, I didn’t understand anything he meant, because I had forgotten about being a prince, falling asleep, and Keiro waking me up the first time. I got up from my bed and wandered to the mirror in my room, and I saw that I was transformed into a gingerbread cookie. I was terrified, but within a few days I began to calm down a little. I was still myself, and I was now awake, but I couldn’t remember anything about my past. Everything before waking up in my gingerbread house was gone.”

“So that’s why you couldn’t remember anything…” Attia spoke in a low hush.

Finn whimpered a little as more tears threatened his eyes. “Yeah, but for some reason, I still can’t remember what my name was, and I don’t understand… Keiro had sworn to me that the Rat King was responsible for our curses, but I don’t remember that. I remember Sia cursing me.”

Attia approached Finn again and gently held him once more in a new embrace. “We can ask him to explain once this is all over, okay?”

But Finn could only weakly nod.

* * *

 

The master worked diligently on Keiro’s joint while Claudia sat on the arm of the sofa by Keiro’s feet, and soon the old broken axle was removed to be replaced with a sturdy new one.

“Be more careful this time, understand? Reckless behavior will give you more injuries.”

Keiro shrugged and mumbled, “Yeah, sure.” No one truly believed he was convinced.

When the black haired man sighed with disappointment and turned to begin cleaning his tools, Claudia smiled down at her fellow toy and snickered. “So, I see things are going well with you and that human girl, Attia.”

The wooden lids around Keiro’s eyes opened wide, and he turned to ask her, “What are you talking about?”

“Oh, don’t play the fool with me. You don’t need to pretend. I can read people like Master reads his books.”

He sneered, revealing his bright white painted teeth. “I’m not pretending about anything.”

“Mhm,” Claudia hummed with a smirk. “So what do you like most about her?”

The painted red cheeks on his face became a few shades darker. “I don’t like her!” he defiantly shouted as the scholar tensed up and began gluing the new axle into his joint.

“Is it her sweet brown eyes, maybe? Or how tiny she is compared to you?”

Keiro groaned as he masked his face with his blocky hands.

“Oh I know! It’s because of how real she is to you. She’s still a real human, and she isn’t fake with you. She argues against you and tells you the truth about everything, even if you don’t want to hear it. You love things that are real, and so you’re beginning to love her.”

He froze and stopped his groaning for just a moment, and so Claudia gasped loudly and slapped a dainty hand on his calf. “That is it, isn’t it?! I knew it! Haha!”

“Shut up!” he hollered while gripping a pillow and throwing it at her head. She was too fast, however, and she quickly ducked.

“That is quite enough, please. I will not tolerate fighting in my study.” The master spoke with a serious firmness that made Claudia relax against the sofa and lose her amused aura.

“Yes, Master,” she said softly.

Keiro crossed his arms and looked away as the scholar then began returning the leg and its joint. It was a tight squeeze designed to prevent it from slipping back out, but it made applying it extremely difficult. He shoved and pushed with all his might, but it would not go back into its place.

“Here, I can do it,” Keiro said as he rose from the sofa and stood on his own feet. He stopped down with great force, and then the joint gave out a loud, “click!” indicating that the axle had slid back into its socket.

Claudia clapped her hands elegantly, and the master wiped the sweat from his brow as he grinned.

“Well, that’s all taken care of.” The master then stood from his stool and wiped his hands on a towel. “You two may stay here while I retrieve your friends.”

Claudia smiled and nodded, and Keiro sat back down on the sofa.

The master wandered about the study, looking for where the gingerbread boy and his companion had gone off to. Eventually he heard some soft crying, and it led him to the sectioned off shelves of a turret. There he found Finn in the arms of Attia, and his shoulders were bouncing in rhythm to the cries the master heard. He stepped forward, and Attia heard this, so she turned her head.

“Master…” she whispered as he approached closer.

“What has the boy distressed?”

Attia bit her lip for a few seconds, then answered with, “he found a book that made him remember his past.”

“Ah, I see…” the scholar said as he took the book from the desk with his gloved hand and held it up to see for himself. “Finn found his own text.”

“‘His own text?’” Attia curiously asked.

The master turned and cleared his throat, then returned the book to the shelf and explained, “every individual who has been cursed has had their history written down in these texts. No one knows who writes these books. Many believe it is a magical force, or even a god. Unfortunately, the books have been tampered with. One day a few rats stormed my tower and took these books. They took each and every one and tore off the names written on the front. Without the names, the identity of whom each book speaks about is unknown. This is why, as more time passes, and more is written in the books, the individual’s memory begins to fade. Their memories are no longer theirs to keep- they are lost to a nameless history.”

Attia listened carefully, amazed by this new information. “But Finn remembered. How did he remember?”

“He read his own history, and so he was reminded. The identity was not given to him, but the story was familiar, and he was able to recognize it as his own.”

Attia looked up at Finn, who was watching the scholar with similar fascination. He frowned as his brown eyebrows lowered deep. “The rats were probably sent to tear off the names to keep me or anyone else from remembering that I’m the prince."

The scholar nodded. “That seems like a very well-educated guess, yes.”

“That also explains why I can’t remember my name. My name is still not on my book, so I don’t know the name of who my history belongs to.”

The scholar smiled as he gave another nod.

Finn solemnly smiled back, then stepped forward to give the green-robed man a hug. "Thank you," he said.

The scholar looked surprised, clearly not expecting the act of affection, but he grinned again and patted the boy’s shoulder. “You need not thank me, Finn. You are the one who remembered.”

Finn pulled back and meekly smiled at him once more, then grabbed Attia’s hand and rushed away from the books towards Claudia and Keiro. When they finally approached the two toys, Finn asked, “are we ready to leave now?”

Claudia rose onto her slippered feet. “I am.”

Keiro stood from the sofa with a grunt and crossed his arms with a smirk. “I am.”

Attia smiled at Finn, then at Keiro. “I am.”

“Then let’s go. I know where our destination is now.”

Keiro looked surprised, and soon Finn was turned and leading his three friends out of the study.

“Wait!” Claudia shouted.

Everyone’s head turned as Claudia fluttered back on her wings towards the scholar. She hovered in the air as she smiled gently at him. “Thank you for your help again, Master. You have a kind heart.”

His soft emerald eyes sparkled as he grinned adoringly at her. “It was no trouble. I am always here for you, Claudia.”

She then gently kissed his cheek before returning back to her friends, and the four companions left the cobblestone tower, back into the snowy candy cane forest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finn's story was a blend of Sleeping Beauty, Princess Pirlipat, and his own tragic history. Yikes.


	8. Chapter 8

Their trip to the tower meant there was not much time in the day left for traveling. They had journeyed for only about three hours before setting down in the dawning sky to set up camp. Claudia and Finn had both agreed to collect firewood together, and so Attia and Keiro were left to gather stones, arrange them in a circle for the fire, then spread sheets around the camp.

“'Collecting firewood,' huh?” Keiro laughed under his breath. “That Claudia probably has Finn kissing at her ankles right now.”

Attia froze, trying as hard as she could to eradicate those images from her mind. She knew they would do nothing but upset her. She distracted herself by patting down her own blankets, then shuffling herself into a seat there with her legs crossed.

This night, Keiro had placed his own spread of sheets next to Attia’s rather than across from it. He reasoned this with the fact that there were now more people in their party, and more people meant less space, but Attia liked to think different. She had hoped that the irritable nutcracker was getting more used to her, and was more willing to share her company. This, of course, went unsaid.

“Speaking of Finn,” Attia began, “Something interesting happened in the tower while you were getting your leg fixed. Finn and I will have to talk to you about it when he gets back.”

A slight uneasy look grew on Keiro’s face before he asked, “What is it?”

“I’m not telling yet,” she defiantly answered.

He groaned and crossed his arms, then asked, “Why would you tell me, then, if you aren’t going to tell me?”

Attia softly laughed at the nonsensical phrasing of that question, then explained, “To ease you into it. It’s going to get pretty serious, so… I just wanted you to be ready when it’s brought up, that’s all.”

Keiro’s wooden lips shaped into a crooked pout, then his shoulders shrugged. “Alright, fine.”

When Finn returned with Claudia at his side, and a bit of wood in each of their arms, they were smiling and laughing together, ever a seemingly perfect pair. Attia found that It was beginning to trouble her less and less.

They quickly put the wood down, and Claudia offered to be the one to start the fire, since she was the least flammable of the four. After the flame had begun and its warmth had spread, Attia looked to Finn and made an intentful expression while gesturing towards Keiro with her head.

“Ah…” Finn began while fidgeting with the end of his cardigan. “So, we found some books in the tower.”

Keiro looked up, then glanced at Attia before returning his attention to Finn. “Yeah, so? There were plenty of books.”

Attia reached into her pack and took from it a slice of bread, then leaned forward to warm it over the fire. While she did this, Finn explained, “These books were different. They were special.”

“How so?” Keiro prompted.

Claudia did not speak, but she watched attentively, listening to Finn’s words.

“Well, I opened one book and it had a poem about an enchanted sleeping prince. I remembered that the poem was speaking about me. I remembered how I got cursed.”

“But there are still gaps that he needs you to fill,” Attia added. “We were hoping you could share what you remember.”

Claudia’s sapphire eyes were now open wide, and she was staring, amazed, at Finn. “You were a prince?” She asked quietly.

He shyly bit his lip, then nodded his head. 

With a grin Keiro cheered, “So you finally remembered, Finn! I’m glad. I thought it would never happen.”

“But there are still gaps,” Finn countered. “I need your help, Keiro. What do you remember?”

Keiro sighed, then leaned back against the tree behind him while he began his story. “I don’t remember why, but there were three soldiers in red coats who came to my home in middle of the night, looking for me specifically. They told me that their prince had fallen to some kind of magical illness. For some reason, they believed I was able to cure him. I can’t tell if I really did know what to do, but I decided to help anyways. They led me out of the city and into the forest, and we went under an arch of two trees. When we passed through, I saw that I was in a world made of toys and sweets. I was escorted to a sugary castle and I saw the prince asleep in his bed.”

“That was me…” Finn whispered.

Keiro nodded, then continued. “Seeing you there, asleep, made me remember hearing a legend about a nut that could wake even the deepest sleepers with the loud snap of its shell. It was called the Crackertooth Nut. I would need to crack it open with my teeth, then take seven steps backwards without stumbling. Only then would you would wake up. I asked where I could find one, and the servants told me there was a collection that grew in the cavern south of the castle. I went there, and it smelled bloody awful. The walls were dark and damp, and everything was so cold.”

Attia crinkled her nose with disgust at the foul description.

“I wandered in and heard a voice: 'turn back, boy. If you steal from me then I’ll have my revenge.’ It was a mechanical voice.” Keiro frowned, remembering the inhuman tones and whirring gears behind it. “I didn't listen, and in the center of the cavern I found a small plant growing with shelled nuts. I took all three of them, and I’m glad I did, because the first one failed. The creature from the cave followed me into the palace, maybe as a beetle or a spider, and when I cracked open the shell of the first nut, you woke up. But then the creature shaped into a rat, scurried across the floor, and tripped me with its tail. I fell back and was instantly turned into a wooden nutcracker, and you fell back asleep.”

Finn stared with wide eyes, amazed and captured by the story.

“After that, I was so sure that there was nothing more I could do. I left you with my head down in shame, then turned down the halls to leave. But when I passed one room, I heard a voice that caught my attention. For some reason I decided to listen, and I heard a woman. She was talking to someone about her wicked plots to keep the throne to herself- how you would never be cured from your spell. Right away I understood that this was the sorceress who enchanted you, and I knew you were in danger. I went back to your bed and picked you up, then snuck you out of the palace through the window. I was lucky no one caught me. I carried you away to someplace you would be safe. I found a small gingerbread village, then decided to put you in a house and set you down on the bed. I tried to break the enchantment again with a new nut, but I wasn’t able to break the curse put on us by the monster. You woke up, yes, but you became a cookie, and you couldn't remember anything.” Keiro lowered his head. “And I’m still in the miserable body of a nutcracker toy.”

Finn’s voice came out in a whimper. “So you were just a city boy who got a cursed for helping me…”

Attia was frozen horrified.

Claudia had her hands folded over her mouth.

Keiro sighed and looked away, then nodded his head. “Yeah, I guess you could say that.”

Finn’s brows lowered as his frown spread. “But you mentioned the Rat King. Who is he? What part does he play in all of this?”

Keiro angrily crossed his arms, then huffed out a breath. “The creature that followed me out of the cave was the same rat that tripped me and cursed us, and I heard that once you were gone, he joined Queen Sia’s side as a man and overtook the palace with her. Coincidentally enough, the queen perished and her biological son fled the kingdom shortly afterwards, so now he rules the land himself.”

“So you call him the Rat King…”

“Because he’s the rat that ruined my life, and he’s now a king.”

Finn was shaking, and he had his clothes clutched tightly around himself. “I’m so sorry, Keiro,” was all he could bring himself to say.

The blond soldier lowered his head, casting dark shadows across his brow and eyes. He grumbled, “I don’t want your apology; it’s not your fault.” Then, in a sudden speed, he rose onto his legs and took his wooden sword into his grasp. “What I want is to make that filthy beast pay for what he has done. I’ve forgotten my life and I can’t go back to it now- none of us can because of him! I hate him!”

All three of the other companions were shocked at the vengeful rage in the pair of bright blue eyes, and soon Keiro’s back was turned and his blade was slashing against the candy cane tree behind him. “I’ll make him pay!” he screeched in agony. “Do you hear that, Rat King?! One day it’ll be me doing the tormenting!”

Claudia and Finn were still, but Attia rose from her seat on her sheets and walked to Keiro’s side. She put a gentle hand on his back to still him, then rested her cheek on his shoulder. “Thank you for keeping us all safe,” she said softly.

It was a random gratitude that seemed to be the product of no specific phrase, but it was a welcomed positivity that eased Keiro’s nerves and calmed him down from his rage. The more Attia hugged his arm and nestled her cheek against his shoulder, the more his sword lowered and his posture dropped.

When Keiro turned to face the fire again, Finn saw that his cheeks were painted a shade or two redder, and Finn couldn’t help but smile a bit from the observation. 

Keiro sheathed his blade as Attia led him back to his seat and sat him down. She was doing a miraculous job keeping him calm. Instead of returning to her own seat, she sat next to him and kept her head on his shoulder.

“So what is our plan from here?” Claudia asked when the atmosphere was finally still again.

Keiro opened his mouth, but Finn’s voice spoke instead. “There are a few towns and villages between here and the Sugarplum Palace. I know where they all are. We will gather recruits from each to help our fight against the king. We’ll gather an army of toys and sweets, and the tyrant’s own people will the ones to end him.”

Attia nodded with agreement, Keiro’s lips bloomed into an eager smirk, and Claudia shook with excitement.

“So this is really happening now, huh?” the small brunette girl asked next. “We’re finally going to break our curses?”

Keiro sighed with his head back. “At last.”

Claudia smiled. “We’ll be human again…”

Finn was silent, but he nodded his head in mutual enthusiasm.

That night Attia did not leave her nutcracker's side. She slept for an hour or two sitting up against him, and when that was visibly too uncomfortable for her, Keiro laid on his back and let the girl sleep on his chest. Blankets were taken from where she was once seated, and they were draped across her body to keep her warm. Having no ability to sleep, the two toys and the one gingerbread cookie chatted and joked through the night, but not loud enough to disturb Attia’s sleeping.

When she awoke in the morning, Attia rose to walk across camp and retrieve a breakfast snack from her pack. Her journey was cut short when she tripped over something around her ankles, and she lifted her heel to see a translucent white string hanging from it. She tried tugging it off, but it only caused a rough yank to pull her ankle along with it. She uncovered a similar string coming from her other ankle, then her two wrists. 

With a shriek of horror, the attention of her three companions were directed to her.

“What? What’s wrong, Attia?” Finn asked with concern while resting a hand on her shoulder.

“I-I have strings growing from me! Why do I have strings growing from me?”

Finn looked down to her wrists, then took a string into his own hands. “Ah, this is… certainly not natural.”

“What an astounding revelation, Finn,” Keiro groaned with dripping sarcasm.

“Well I don’t know why this is happening!” Finn spoke in his defense. 

Claudia stepped forward and shoved Finn and Keiro aside, breathing out, “You boys are hopeless.” She then knelt down before Attia and took her hands into her own. She observed the strings seemingly attached to her wrists, then took a moment to view the similar ones at her ankles. “It almost looks like she’s becoming a puppet,” Claudia thought out loud.

“A puppet?!” Attia gasped in alarm.

"Perhaps your curse is taking longer to affect you than most individuals," Claudia suggested.

Attia bit her look and looked around, terrified, as tears threatened her eyes.

Seeing her fright, Keiro took her into his blocky wooden arms without a word.

"I don't want to be a puppet," she whispered between terrified gasps of air.

Only Keiro heard, and he squeezed her tighter in his hold. "Just... calm down, alright? You're going to be okay. We'll fix this."

"I don't want to be cursed. I just want to go home and have everything back to how it was."

"Yes, you're going to be home soon," Keiro said in a hushed voice. "We all are. So just breathe and let yourself relax, okay? Calm down."

She took a few deep inhales to calm herself, then waited long minutes for her breath to steady until she separated herself from Keiro's hold. She gave him a weak smile of appreciation while rubbing her hands together. She was glad she could still feel the sensation of her hands touching. "I'm okay now, thank you," she said.

"Are you sure?" Finn asked for further validation.

Attia nodded. "Yes, I'm alright. I'm going to be okay."

And so, with few additional words, the four packed up their things and set off to travel again. Attia decided to wrap and tie her strings around her wrists and ankles like bracelets, and she walked at Keiro's side during their journey.

Their first destination was known as Marzipan Village. It was a small civilization with a body of citizens that mostly consisted of treats.

“These people are usually quiet and sparse,” Finn explained to his three friends, “but they care for justice. We shouldn’t have much trouble with them.”

Finn stepped forward and guided his companions through the streets, towards the heart of the village. When they arrived there, he turned to Claudia, then Attia and Keiro.

Attia smiled, then encouraged him with, “Go on. You can do this.”

He took in a deep breath, then nodded his head. With one great step he rose onto the edge of the fountain in the heart of the village, and he called out, “citizens of the honorable Marzipan Village: lend your ears to your heir!”

There were only two individuals in the area, and neither seemed very interested in what the gingerbread boy had to say.

Finn bit his lip, feeling discouragement tugging on his nerves. It was eased when a smooth porcelain hand slid into his own. Refusing to submit, he spoke again. “For too long you have suffered the injustice and atrocities of the tyrant who rules over you, and the evils of my step-mother before him! You’ve had your lives stripped away by the curses of this king, and now we have arrived to declare that this has gone on for long enough! His reign must be brought to an end, and we are here to deliver it!”

Finn’s preaching had captured the attention of more citizens, and now there were dozens circling around the quartet, and the numbers were growing.

“But we can’t do it alone. The king has armed forces under his liege. To combat them, we’ll need soldiers! We’ll need brave souls with big hearts to follow us! Follow me and battle the king's forces, and we shall take back our names and make history our own again!”

Attia gazed around at the crowd around them. It could be safe to say that at least one member from every household in the village had left their homes to hear Finn’s words. He had them captivated, and they were hearing every word- every phrase, and holding onto it with devotion.

“Tell me: who is sick of the hopelessness forged by a forgotten past?”

A tall and well-built man stepped forward with his head up high. “I am.”

Finn grinned at this blooming interaction, and he hopped down from the fountain’s edge to join the crowd. “Who is tired of sleepless nights, empty stomachs, and silent nerves? Of lost humanity?”

A small but fierce looking girl made from tough taffy stepped closer, glaring with sharp eyes. “I am!”

Finn was storming through the crowd, confidently staring into the eyes of his subjects. His words were short and concise, each syllable punched with power. “And who is ready to go back home?”

This time, the crowd answered with one loud synchronization: “I am!”

Finn marched out of the village with his fist raised high and his smile bold for all to see. His three friends walked close behind, and following them all were more than half the citizens of the village, devoted and ready to serve their prince’s cause. They marched with hope, ready to fight for their past, their present, and their future.

And such was the way that these people traveled to town after town and village after village. With each speech he gave, Finn touched more hearts and gathered more recruitments, until there were hundreds of citizens brought together and ready for justice.


	9. Chapter 9

When they finally reached the outskirts of the Sugarplum Palace, Finn spent long hours preparing his soldiers, organizing them into divided factions, and sharing plans with his people.

Currently, he was gathered in a circle, discussing with a representative from each division. His three friends stood behind him.

“The first wave will come from the west. I remember that side of the palace being the least guarded, so it will be the best place to strike a surprise blow. After that, however, we will need to hit heavy on the east side, since it is better guarded and has more security to beat down. Twice as many men will hit there after the first wave. When wave one and two are hit, then we will send the rest of our men to attack from all sides.”

“Like a hammer striking over and over,” Keiro said with a dark grin on his face.

“Yes, thank you, Keiro.” Finn spoke with a sarcastic amusement.

“Pardon me?” A man spoke while taking a step forward. It was the same sturdy man who spoke at the rally in the Marzipan Village. “I would like to nominate my division for the first wave. It would be an honor, Your Excellency.

Finn blinked. “Are you certain?” he asked, just to be sure.

The man nodded, and so Finn finally agreed. “Very well. Your division will be the first to strike.”

An older and bulky woman then offered, “I nominate my own division for the second wave.”

Another voice called out, “My division will join hers.”

Finn nodded his approval and smiled his appreciation. “Yes, thank you,” he said. “Thank you all so much. I admire your courage and your strong hearts. So it is decided: division six will deliver the first wave from the west, division four and three will deliver the second wave from the east, and the other three divisions will attack in the third wave.”

Nods of mutual agreement were observed all around.

“Then go and deliver the word: We attack at dusk.”

And so when the sun began its drop beneath the horizon, loud shouts and a deep rumble of footsteps proceeded the furious sound of breaking down of the western gate and metal hitting against metal.

Finn and the others watched over the attack from a distance. They were surprised to see that the rats were weak creatures, but there were enough of them to provide a challenge. After some time of fighting, the battle certainly seemed to lean in their favor. Soon rats were falling with great numbers, and the second wave against the palace began. They shared a similar experience, except with double the enemies and double the soldiers.

Quickly arrived the time for the third wave, which was led by Finn and his friends beside him. They charged in from the front gate, and with much determination and valor, they struck down the foes in their path.

Attia occasionally got the chance to glance at her companions while they fought.

Finn and Keiro were back-to-back, a spinning circle of terror with their blades. They were a powerful duo with a great dynamic, and together they could take down large numbers of enemies. Strength and speed were their elements; Finn possessing the ability to swipe and jab at a foe numerous times in only a few brief moments, and Keiro possessing great power that could send large enemies hurtling back.

“Impressive, brother!” Keiro laughed over the fighting. “All this excitement truly has me on _edge!_ Do you see my _point?”_

While slicing off a rat head, Finn screamed back, “Not now, Keiro!”

Claudia had a strength of her own; Her wings were large and with just one flutter they could cast winds that sent the mechanical rats flying against walls.

Attia had her own tactics to use against the rats that charged towards her. She untied the strings around her wrists, then flungthem forward to trip, whip, or tie up the rats. She took satisfaction in knowing the same curse that had been set to trouble her was now being used as a weapon against the king himself.

By the end of their exhausting battle, shattered and broken pieces of the mechanical bits laid scattered across the grounds of the palace, along with sugar and toy limbs.

They had successfully eliminated the Rat King’s forces, and now all that remained was the deplorable tyrant himself.

Keiro gently nudged Finn aside and marched forward to the front doors. “Leave this part to me.”

Hatred was blazing in his blue eyes.

The gathered toy and sugar soldiers trailed behind the three friends who followed the enraged nutcracker. When the four companions stepped into the main hall of the palace, however, the doors quickly slammed shut behind them, locking out their army.

“So, at last you have returned,” an inhuman voice spoke loud and chuckled. “I have waited for you. Oh and look, you brought your friends. How nice.”

Keiro and Finn both tensed, unsure of whom the cynical voice was addressing: the blond thief, or the brunette heir.

Finn looked around and gazed upon the unfamiliar hall. It was no longer pristine and bright with beautiful colors, like how he remembered it. The sugar walls were rotted away and restructured with plates of steel and iron. The stench of decomposition hung in the air. Large ugly gears were rusted and cluttered across the floors. The furniture, tapestries, and curtains, were all torn and unravelling.

He felt like he was going to be sick, and he was temporarily grateful that his cookie body did not possess a stomach.

“Show yourself, beast! I don’t fear you!” Keiro hollered into the darkness. Finn flinched from his provoking words.

“No, you don’t? Are you certain?”

At that moment, a figure began constructing from the scraps and filth around the room. It grew from the ground up, rising to take the shape of a man. When the transformation was complete, the man watched the quartet with a single scarlet eye, his other masked by a black patch. He boldly rested his ball-jointed hands on his hips and wore a smirk as cocky as Keiro’s signature grin.

“So, what brings my two _favorite_ boys to my humble home?” the creature asked, but before either boy could answer, he was turned and making his way towards the three thrones across the hall.

Keiro didn't care if he was turned away; he spoke towards his back. “Your forces have fallen, and I’ve come to kill you!”

“Oh, have you?” The man’s smirk widened as he ran his fingers back through his inky black hair. He strolled further across the hall, then seated himself in the middle throne, which was largest and once seated Queen Sia.

Finn stepped forward and interrupted Keiro’s discussion with the humanoid creature. He demanded to know, “What happened to my step-mother?”

The filthy man paused, then leaned back and draped himself rather improperly across the throne. His legs were spread, and his arms were dangling over the edges, while his back curved against the crimson cushions. The casual pose was far from suitable for any other king, but there was a sly arrogance behind his body language that seemed to fit perfectly, despite the circumstances. He spoke with a lower voice, still mechanical but twisted with something lustful. “Oh, Sia. Yes, she was quite a woman, and a formidable queen. I’ve never met anyone as devious or hungry for power as she was; oh, that sorceress matched me well. But the problem with two power-hungry people is that neither want to share. We didn’t work well together as King and Queen for very long, so I’m afraid I had to terminate our competition.” A twisted grin bloomed across the grey patchy skin, revealing crooked and sharp teeth. While he did so, a dark coronet made of gears and springs formed on his head of black hair. “And her poor son, Caspar- he was so scared and decided to run. So now here I am.”

Something sick would have surely been churning in Finn’s stomach now. He squeezed the grip of his blade tightly. There were shouts and slamming fists on the other side of the massive doors. “And why have you cursed all these people? What have they done to deserve this?”

The smirk on the creature faded away, and with a grim voice he answered. “What did I do to deserve this? Do you truly think you or anyone else you know was the first one to be cursed, boy? No, I was the first one to arrive here. I have lived in this world longer than anyone else.”

Claudia was outraged. Her wings twitched with anger as she shouted out, “So you curse others just out of spite?! Just because you’ve been cursed? How is that any justification?”

To match Claudia’s aggravation, the foul man on the throne snarled as his red eye bloomed with light, illuminating the room in a scarlet glow. He stood from the throne and roared out to her, “You know nothing about me! Who are you to tell me what I do is good or evil?! Who are you to challenge me?!”

At that moment, Keiro charged forward with his blade out. His face was in a silent scowl, and there was fury in his eyes. He was ready to kill.

But before he even reached the steps before the throne, the crowned man rose his arm, and with that movement Keiro was lifted into the air. All three of his friends gasped before the mechanical arm swiped left, violently slamming Keiro against the wall.

“Did you really think you were any match for me, thief?!”

The mechanical arm lowered, and thus Keiro was dropped onto the floor. Attia lunged forward to help him, but Claudia’s porcelain grip on her arm stopped her.

“You stole from me! You stole the one chance I had to escape!”

The second mechanical arm swiped right, then left, tearing a beam from the wall and sending it across the room and straight into the nutcracker’s chest. It penetrated completely through him and pierced the wall behind him.

Attia howled out in agonizing terror. “Keiro, no!”

The toy soldier grunted with frustration as he struggled against the beam, then he reassuringly explained, “Don’t worry, Attia. It doesn’t hurt. I’m fine- just stuck, that’s all.”

The angrier the shapeshifter became, the more inhuman and distorted his voice grew. “Does anyone else want to try challenging me, huh?! Come on, humor me!” he threatened.

Finn gripped his sword tighter, then ran forward to take that challenge. He did not pass seven feet, however, as Attia rushed before him and held her hands out to stop him.

“Finn, don't!” she ordered.

Shocked, Finn froze with his sword still poised at his side. He stared with wide eyes, then whispered, “What?”

“There must be a way to fix this,” she argued.

“Yes,” Finn agreed, “there is. That's why we need to kill him.”

“No!” Attia shook her head. “I mean _all_ of this! There must be a way we can _all_ solve our curses and go back home. Didn’t you hear him? He’s cursed too!”

“So what?” Finn’s brows were now lowered with a troubled blend of confusion and frustration. “He has tormented so many others.”

“Attia,” Keiro called to catch her attention. She turned and saw that his stare was intense, and his face was pulled down into an angry frown. “If you jeopardize our freedom for him, I’ll never forgive you.”

“No, that’s not-! I just want to help everyone!” Her eyes frantically turned from Keiro to Finn, then to Claudia, all of whom seemed furious with her actions.

“This monster can’t be helped, and we can’t think of any other way to go back home,” Finn declared as he walked past Attia and strolled up to the creature. He raised his blade towards the humanoid's throat, then bellowed, “Fight me!”

Accepting the prince’s challenge, the crowned shapeshifter chuckled as his fingers grew long claws, his body rose to massive heights, and sickly wings sprouted from his back.

In only a matter of seconds, Finn was face-to-face with a dragon.

Claudia flew forward to help him.

Quickly, Attia scanned the room as she let her thoughts race. “There must be some other way. There must be…” she mumbled in a whisper to herself.

Then she recalled Claudia’s words: "Perhaps your curse is taking longer to affect you than most individuals.”

Her hands fidgeted at her sides, against her dirtied nightgown, as she frantically thought. What made her special? What made her different enough from 'most individuals’ to stall her transformative curse?

Her eyes wandered to the strings from her wrists, then to the blond nutcracker still struggling against the beam impaled through his chest.

“Keiro,” she whispered, the name fluttering warmly against her lips.

Then it struck her. “Love,” she uttered.

And with that realization, she gasped, then shouted it out louder. “Love! The key is love!”

But no one seemed to hear her, so she ran forward and used her strings again to pull the blade from Finn’s grip. Once he was unarmed and left gasping, Attia ran forward beneath the dragon, then put her arms out to hug his chest. With great strength she was pushed forward, but she refused to submit.

Finn shouted out, “What are you doing, Attia?!” as she continued embracing the creature.

Soon, everyone was amazed to see the creature stop, then shape back into a man. He remained still in Attia’s hold, an expression of surprise and bewilderment on his face. She looked up at him, then murmured, “It must have been awful being the first one cursed and losing so much hope.”

He stared down at the short girl with his wide scarlet eye, then pursed his lips as his expression grew into sorrow. He trembled in her hold, then finally brought his arms around her to return the hug.

“What happened?” She asked into his leather shoulder.

He waited before answering, “I was a small boy- an orphan with no parents. I was left to live on my own.”

Claudia, Finn, and Keiro all watched, horrified and amazed by Attia’s decisions.

“But I chose not to pity myself,” the artificial man continued explaining, “and I decided to help others. All the money I gathered by begging, I would give away to other children and families. I would spend my days travelling the streets and assisting anyone who seemed to need help, and I gave my company to anyone who seemed lonely.” His now-clawless fingers gripped at Attia’s shoulder with misery. “I tried everything I could to spread love, because I was born without it. I wanted to spread love so much- so much...”

“But then what happened?” Attia asked.

“I grew older, and I became known for my generosity. One day two men followed me into the alley I called home, and they beat me down and stole all the coin from my pockets. A few days later, I was mugged again, then again, and then again. People were abusing my love, and so one day I finally lost it. I stopped caring. That was the day I became cursed, and I created this world so I may curse others.”

Claudia opened her mouth, but before she could say any words, he stopped her with his own. “And I understand it is not proper justification. I’m no longer excusing my actions, I’m only… explaining.”

Attia put distance between her hug with the shapeshifter so she could see into his one eye, then she said, “It’s not right what they did to you, just like how it’s not right what you did to us.” She waited, then she offered a weak smile. “But I forgive what you did to me, so now we can move on from this.”

He stared back, his red eye soft and sad, then he lowered his head and breathed out in a whimper, “Thank you.”

Then, in a blinding flash of red light, he vanished from the dilapidated room.

Everyone was stunned silent until Claudia finally spoke. “Attia, you…”

“You did it,” Finn finished Claudia's phrase. “You broke the curse.”

But Attia did not waste a second marveling in her accomplishments. She ran across the room towards her nutcracker, then stared terrified with wide and wet eyes. Her breath came in an anxious pace as she took hold of the beam through him, then tried pulling it out with a loud grunt. It would not budge, and so Claudia and Finn joined her efforts. Together the three of them were finally able to free Keiro, and Attia threw herself onto him and began sobbing into his shoulder.

While she bawled onto the injured blond, Finn quietly explained, “Claudia and I need to go outside and tell the others what the cure is, okay? We’ll give you some time alone and come back later.”

Attia wordlessly nodded her head, and Keiro patted her shoulder. “That sounds good,” he said in agreement.

When the gingerbread and fairy pair were gone from the palace, Keiro scooped Attia up in his arms and held her closer. “Calm down, you big baby,” he said. “I’m fine.”

Attia nuzzled into his wooden neck, then whimpered between sobs, “I was so scared. I thought I lost you.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed him tighter.

“Oh, come on. You know I’m tough.” Keiro offered a small chuckle in his throat to try and lighten the air. “It takes a lot more than this to hurt me.”

“More than a spike through your chest?!” Attia wailed.

Keiro looked down at the gaping hole in the chest piece of his wooden torso, then gave an uncomfortable laugh. It scared him to look at, but he tried remaining light-hearted. “It was just a splinter.”

Attia pulled away from her hug on the nutcracker to look down at him. Her dark cheeks were damp, and her glaring eyes were swollen. She wiped her tears, then grumbled, “you’re such an _idiot.”_

Then suddenly, she brought her face down and pressed her lips against his nose in a loving kiss.

In a blank flood of white, her senses were gone and everything disappeared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you can tell, I'm terrible at writing battles, so I just try to avoid it altogether. ∠( ᐛ 」∠)_


	10. Chapter 10

When Attia finally came to her senses and woke up, she was lying next to the Christmas tree in her living room. It was morning- she could tell by the bird songs she heard and the pink colors in the sky outside the window.

She sat up with a groan. She saw that she was wearing the stained and tattered nightgown she remembered, but the coat Finn gave her was missing.

Worse: her nutcracker was missing.

She stood with a jump, then immediately began searching through the living room for either or both items.

She was scared, and she must have been making a great deal of noise, for Jamar came down the stairs rubbing his tired eyes and asking, “Attia? What are you doing up so early?”

She turned and stared at him with frightened eyes, and it was at that moment when he finally saw the condition of her attire. His eyes opened wider, and he wearily inquired, “What happened to your nightgown?”

She answered neither question, and only walked forward to approach her brother. “What day is it?” she asked.

As more moments passed, Jamar became more visibly concerned. He waited, then finally answered, “It’s Christmas Day, Attia…”

All of that had only happened in one night, apparently.

When she gawked and turned to search through the furniture once again, Jamar offered, “Do you need some coffee?”

She seemed to be taking a special interest in the wooden side table next to the sofa.

“No,” she finally answered one of his questions. “But have you seen my nutcracker?”

Jamar had to blink a few times. “Your nutcracker?”

“My nutcracker,” she confirmed.

“Uh…” Jamar shook his head. “No, I haven’t. Did you sleep alright last night, Attia?”

“I slept fine, just fine,” Attia lied while searching behind the pillows on the couch.

Where did her beloved nutcracker go?

She scanned the room once more while tears began welling in her eyes.

“Woah, why are you crying?” Jamar urged with a great deal of worry.

“My nutcracker! He’s gone!” she hiccuped before biting her lip and looking beneath the sofa.

Jamar sighed, then rubbed his forehead before turning towards the kitchen. He really needed coffee.

When he left, a door was heard from upstairs opening and closing. Down the stairs came Rix, dressed in a plum colored robe over a grey shirt and pants. When Attia saw him, she rose from the ground and ran forward to him.

“Rix!” she cried. “The nutcracker you gave me- he’s magical! He came to life and I found him downstairs fighting some rats! I decided to help him, but then the rats shrunk me too, so I had to go to the land of toys and sweets, and we met Finn the gingerbread boy- oh but he was actually a prince! And we met a fairy doll too, and also an automaton! And we went to fight the Rat King, but we didn’t actually have to fight him! I found out that the key to fixing the curses is love, so we all got the chance to go back home and-!”

Rix stared, wide eyed and dumbfounded at the rantings of his niece. With his eyebrows raised and his eyelids blinking a few times, he reached his pinky into his ear and tried wiping it clean. Maybe he wasn’t hearing things correctly.

“You believe me, Rix, don’t you?” Attia pleaded with big eyes.

Rix scratched his head, then gave a crooked grin and nodded his head. “Of course I do, Attia!”

She smiled with a hopeful sparkle in her eyes.

“It sounds like a wonderful dream! I’m jealous.”

Attia’s shoulders slumped with disappointment.

“No!” she wailed. “It wasn’t a dream- it really happened! My nutcracker came to life and now I can’t find him!”

Rix clicked his tongue and put his hands on his waist. “That lousy nutcracker wandered off again? Curses! Well then we just have to find him again.”

Attia knew that Rix wasn’t entirely convinced or taking her seriously, but she couldn’t turn down receiving help, so with Rix at her side they continued searching the room for any trace of the nutcracker or Finn’s coat.

Azim was the next one to leave his room and wander downstairs. He saw the two looking behind the window curtains, and so he tilted his head and asked, “What are you searching for?”

Attia uneasily looked over her shoulder at Azim, then answered, “I lost my nutcracker.”

Azim frowned and arched his brows with sympathy. “I’m sorry, Attia. I’m sure you’ll find him.” Then with that, he turned and entered the kitchen with Jamar. The two made coffee for themselves while the other siblings began filing down to the tree, one by one.

When everyone was finally gathered in the living room, Azim patted Attia’s shoulder and uttered, “Maybe you should drop the search for just a moment. It’s time to open gifts.”

Attia gulped. “But he’s missing. I need to find him.”

Azim patted her head, then sighed. “You can search for him later, and I’m really certain you’ll find him.”

“It’s true,” Rix interjected. “Let’s open some presents. He’ll be safe- he’s a tough guy.”

Attia bit her lip, then sat on the ground beside the tree with her head down. Each present given to her was opened solemnly, with little more reaction than a faint smile of appreciation. From her siblings she had received all kinds of presents, ranging from new books to beautiful amber earrings.

Then Rix presented his littlest niece with his own gift, and Attia silently took it into her hands.

“I’ll bet three silver pieces that you’ll love this, hehe!”

Attia weakly smiled and nodded her head towards her uncle, then tore off the paper from the gift to uncover a wooden box underneath the wrapping. The wood was painted white with crisp blue roses decorated across it. She opened the box, and immediately upon doing so, a light tinkling music rose along with a spinning ballerina. The song began with a G, then an E, then a G again, then an F flat, then a D.

“It’s a music box…” Attia sighed out. Its beauty was breathtaking.

Looking closer, Attia observed that the ballerina had light curls of hair, was wearing garments of pink and blue, and had shimmering sapphire colored wings.

“Wait, this is-”

Just at that very instant, a knock sounded on the door.

“I’ll get it,” Thana declared. She rose onto her feet, then walked out of the room to answer the door. When she did so, happy greetings of cheer were heard coming from the foyer, and in these cheers Attia heard familiar voices.

The first Christmas guests then stepped into the living room with Thana. Behind tall towers of presents, Attia saw a grinning brunette boy with endearing round features, and next to him was a charming girl with a large blue bow in her caramel colored curls.

“Giles and Claudia!” Azim grinned while spreading his arms. “Welcome! You’re just in time; we’re opening presents.”

“Oh, excellent!” Giles laughed while approaching the tree and setting his many gifts down.

Claudia did the same, then hugged her fiance’s arm and rushed to sit next to Attia. “Oh Attia, I’m so happy to see you! I was just telling Giles how much fun you and I are going to have today. I’ll dress you up and do your hair and everything!”

Giles leaned over and spoke to Attia as well. “It’s true. She rambled the entire sleigh ride here.”

“Oh shush, you love hearing me talk.”

Attia could only stare while the two talked, then she finally willed herself to whisper, “Finn…?”

Giles gave a toothy grin, sweet dimples forming at the ends of his smile, then nodded his head once.

Attia turned her stare forward, her eyes unfocused and her thoughts going into a trance. Giles remembered being Finn, so that meant what happened in the land of toys and sweets must have been real. She took once last look down at the fairy ballerina in her music box.

Her thoughts were interrupted and her mind was tugged back to reality when Claudia pushed a wrapped present into Attia’s arms. “This one is from dear Giles,” she declared.

Attia smiled, then looked down at the starry blue and silver paper decorating the box. She tore off the stars, then opened the paper box underneath. Inside, she found a folded up garment of a beautifully warm brown color.

“What is it?” Iesha eagerly asked.

“Come on, Attia. Show us.” Azim further requested.

Attia removed the cloth from the box and held it up to reveal a gorgeously structured coat. Pale tan buttons lined the center, and a pair of soft pockets decorated the front for convenience.

“I bought this one instead of making it myself,” Giles sheepishly admitted.

“I still love it,” Attia cooed and hugged it close to her chest. “It looks so soft and warm. Thank you, Giles.” She tugged it onto her torso while Giles happily squeezed Claudia’s hand.

The couple’s gifts to the other siblings were opened before Attia was gifted with another box. Claudia hummed, “This one is from me.”

“Oh, thank you Claudia!” Attia exclaimed before opening the present. It was smaller than Giles’ gift, but it was still large enough to cover her lap. When she uncovered the lid, she saw a pair of pale pink ballet slippers, complete with silk ribbons and lining.

Over Attia’s shoulder, Laya saw the slippers and gasped. “Oh, that’s not fair! You’re so lucky, Attia!” 

“Sush, it’s perfectly fair!” Attia argued. “You got your own gifts, didn’t you?”

Laya crossed her arms and pouted, then scooted back away.

“Thank you,” Attia sighed while smiling to the couple. “Thank you so much.” She then leaned forward to give them both a tender hug, which was happily returned.

“So,” Attia whispered low while discarding the paper wrapping scraps aside, “um, did you see Keiro leave the palace?”

Claudia and Giles took uneasy glances towards each other, then returned their attention to Attia. “No, the hall was empty when we went back for you two. We assumed you two broke your curses alone. Why?”

Attia sighed and lowered her head. “I can’t find him anywhere. Him as a nutcracker, I mean. I’m scared. What if he’s lost? What if I don’t see him again?”

Giles painfully smiled and tilted his head, then spoke in a gentle and soft voice. “I’m sure he’ll show up. Trust me, he wouldn’t stay away from you.”

“Yeah, but-”

Then there was another knock at the door. This time, Azim was the one to rise and answer it. When he did, Attia heard him greet the visitor with, “Oh, hello. I’m afraid we haven’t met before; may I ask who you are?” She then heard him continue with, “Apprentice? Oh, yes, that’s right! Come in, come in.”

Her eyes widened when she heard the word, “apprentice,” and soon she was on her bare feet and facing the doorway. There, next to Azim, she saw a tall pale man dressed in a red coat with his blond hair tied back into a neat ponytail. He caught Attia’s brown gaze with his own blue, and immediately the room fell silent. They froze and locked their intense stares for many moments, until suddenly he surged across the room and snatched her into his arms. He dipped her backwards, causing a gasp to slip past her lips, then crashed his own mouth against hers.

The jaws and eyes of Attia’s siblings were opened wide as this apparent stranger captured Attia’s lips in repetitive and passionate kisses. Her hands were wandering across his cheeks, jaw, and neck, glad to feel the fleshy warmth there instead of wood. She buried her dark fingers into his yellow hair, feeling each individual strand and rubbing encouragingly at his scalp.

During the fervent display of affection, Rix snickered with amusement under his hand, and Claudia and Giles shielded their eyes with their hands while their faces turned pink.

Finally, after a solid half-minute of witnessing the kisses, Azim cleared his throat, signaling his order for the new guest to step away from his youngest sister.

The blond obeyed, hoisting Attia up onto her own feet again. He gave one last kiss to her cheek, then stepped back before wiping his slightly swollen lips against his red sleeve.

“I uh-” Azim began with another clearing of his throat, “I see that you and Rix’s apprentice are already… acquainted?”

Attia raised her eyebrows towards Rix, then asked across the room, “Your apprentice? Keiro is-”

“My apprentice, yes,” Rix answered with a crooked grin. “And a wonderful magician he is!”

Attia stared awestruck at Rix, then turned and looked at Keiro.

He smirked and bounced his eyebrows towards her.

Attia’s siblings came to greet and admire the blond, and she pretended not to hear when Kadin said, “He kind of looks like your nutcracker toy, Attia.”

Finally it was Claudia and Giles’ turn to greet Keiro. They grinned up at him, then simultaneously hugged him. 

“It’s great to see you again,” Giles said, his voice muffled in Keiro’s red coat.

Keiro laughed, then hugged them both back. “Yeah, it is pretty great to see me, huh?”

To this, Claudia and Giles laughed along with Keiro while Attia rolled her eyes.

And so the rest of Christmas day passed with similar laughter and joy. 

Attia was taken by Claudia up to her bedroom, and she was properly dressed and prepared for the holiday ahead. Applause erupted from the happy family when they saw how beautiful Attia was, dressed in a green gown and adorned with rosy blush and velvet lipstick. 

By the tree, everyone gathered and admired their gifts. Attia was especially eager to practice her new ballet slippers with Claudia's help. The two boys, Giles and Keiro, watched their beloved girls dancing while smitten smiles were stretched on their lips.

Outside, the two couples decided to team up in a fierce snowball fight against each other. It was agreed that neither team won, but Attia and Keiro were certainly the ones with most snow coated on their faces and shoulders.

Before, during, and after dinner, Keiro “coincidentally” bumped into Attia many times in the same doorway that just so happened to have mistletoe hanging from it. Claudia and Giles met there once as well, and they shared a sweet and innocent kiss that earned an adoring “aaaw” from the entire family.

After the massive dinner was eaten, everyone changed into their pajamas and sat before the fireplace with mugs of hot chocolate in their hands. Attia, Claudia, Giles, and Keiro, all collaborated to share a “fictional” story about a world where people were toys and treats, and they were ruled over by a mechanical rat tyrant.

When the story was finished, everyone retired to their bedrooms. The day ended with a beautiful flurry that coated the land with a fresh layer of snow, ready to greet a new day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you don't want to search up the musical notes, the song that plays in Attia's music box is Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. Thought I should share that.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading!!! I hope you enjoyed it! Stay warm, and have a happy holiday. <3


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